Novak Djokovic played a five-set epic against Italian Lorenzo Musetti at the French Open, which ended at 03:07 local time in Paris.
In a third-round match that didn’t start until 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, towards the end of a rain-affected day at Roland Garros, the defending champions fought back from two sets down to one down to win 7-5 6-7 ( 6 -8) 2-6 6-3 6-0.
The 37-year-old from Serbia looked on the verge of exiting the tournament at the hands of an inspired Musetti, the 30th seed.
But a rejuvenated Djokovic found new momentum midway through the fourth set, reeling off six straight service breaks to force a decider (and then cruise to victory).
There was a warm embrace between the two at the end of the match, with Djokovic joining the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd in applauding his 22-year-old opponent in what was the last finish in French Open history.
The victory in four hours and 29 minutes continued the world number one’s bid for a fourth French Open crown and he will play 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the last 16.
‘I don’t want to go into it [the schedule]. I have my opinions, but I think there are great things to talk about in this match today,” Djokovic said.
“Both Lorenzo and my performances stand out, so I don’t want to talk about the schedule. I think some things could have been handled in a different way, but there is also something nice in winning a match.” [so late].”
As a teenager, Musetti pushed Djokovic close in the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021 before retiring injured in the fifth set.
The 22-year-old started quickly again this time, breaking serve in the third game of the match, although Djokovic immediately responded in kind and then outwitted his opponent in a lengthy rally to convert his first set point.
But Musetti fought back from 4-1 down in the second set, saving a set point on Djokovic’s serve in the tie-break on his way to leveling the score, before breaking twice in the third set to move within one of victories .
At 2-2 in the fourth, with Musetti’s level barely dropping, Djokovic drew on his years of experience to find an extra gear and capped the victory with a stunning crosscourt forehand return winner.
