The latter, world N.1, still has to face in night session the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th), finalist in 2021.

Djokovic (3rd), seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title, took 3:38 to defeat Russian Karen Khachanov (11th) 4-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-4.

"He was better for the majority of the first two sets. I struggled to get into the match, but I managed a perfect tie break," said the Serb, believing that the decisive game had marked the turning point of the match.

"I tried to be unpredictable and I'm happy I got out of it," he admitted after signing his 90th victory on the Parisian clay where only the master of the place Rafael Nadal did better (112).

He will play his twelfth half at Roland-Garros where only Nadal has done better (15 for 14 titles). It will also be his 45th Grand Slam semi and there, only Roger Federer has done better (46).

For his part, Khachanov, who had reached the last four of the last two Grand Slam tournaments (US Open 2022 and Australian Open in January), will not manage the pass of three.

In the women's draw, Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka (2nd) beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina (192nd) 6-4, 6-4 and reached the last four of Paris for the first time in her career.

Between the Belarusian and the Ukrainian, the match was accompanied as since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, an emotional and political charge.

"Instinctively"

Ukrainian players have become accustomed to not shaking hands with their Russian or Belarusian opponents.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina (L) refuses to shake hands with Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka, at Roland Garros, June 6, 2023 © JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

On Tuesday, Sabalenka waited for Svitolina at the net, obviously hoping to greet her, but the Ukrainian didn't even give her a look.

"I did this instinctively, as I always do at the end of my matches," said the Belarusian, back in a press conference after missing the previous two to preserve her "mental health" and "well-being, considering herself too targeted by questions about the war in Ukraine and his links with the authoritarian president of his country, Alexander Lukashenko.

But this wait at the net was not appreciated by the Ukrainian who felt that Sabalenka had added fuel to the fire.

"My first reaction was to say: +What are you doing?+. Because I made my position clear," said Svitolina, back in the Grand Slam quarterfinals less than eight months after giving birth to her first child last October, a baby girl born from her union with Gael Monfils and named Skaï.

Still, Sabalenka, crowned with her first Major title in January at the Australian Open, is at the rendezvous of the last Parisian square.

She will face Czech Karolina Muchova (43rd) on Thursday, who beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (7rd but 5 finalist) earlier in the day.

With the focus on a final against the defending champion, the world N.1 Iga Swiatek. The Pole still has to pass the quarters, Wednesday against the American Coco Gauff (6th), in a remake of the 2022 final.

© 2023 AFP