This will be his 12th semi-final at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic, 3rd in the world and seeking a 23rd Grand Slam title, qualified on Tuesday, June 6, for the penultimate stage of the tournament by beating 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," Djokovic said, adding that the decisive game 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).

The 36-year-old Serb now awaits the other favorite in Nadal's absence, Carlos Alcaraz, for the big shock of the tournament.

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

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

Difficult start to the game

Tuesday against Khachanov, the Serb was slow to get into the game. In the first set, he didn't get a break ball while he lost one out of the seven he had to defend. He also committed 17 direct faults for 12 winning shots.

In the second set, everyone held their own without conceding a single break ball, but in the tie break Djokovic was untouchable. The Serb still committed a significant number of direct faults (14), but he balanced with the same number of winning shots.

He raised his game markedly in the third set and regained his efficiency.

He served 4 aces, committed no double faults, won 91% of the points played on his first ball and 100% on his second, managed two breaks without conceding a single break ball, managed 19 winning shots for a single direct fault. And concluded the round with a raging smash.

Victory in 3h38

The Serb took the lead early in the fourth set by breaking to lead 2-1. A power exchange that turned into a cat-and-mouse game at the net and ended with a Khachanov tweener and a volley into Djokovic's net on a 3-1 ball for the Serb got the crowd going.

Djokovic regretted at the microphone after his victory his lack of efficiency on this particular point. But two points later he nevertheless confirmed his break to lead 3-1, not without saving two break balls.

Then he had two balls to make it 5-2, but the Russian lined up four points to get back to 4-3. And on a double fault, Djokovic offered him the break (4-4).

However, the Serb won the match in 3:38 and after giving up his first set of the tournament. 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.

With AFP

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