Djokovic Easy Into Round 3 At French Open, Gets Musetti; Medvedev, Zverev Advance

Novak Djokovic was broken twice but otherwise had an easy afternoon at the French Open breezing past Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena in three 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

Djokovic broke seven times and cracked 43 winners to just 24 unforced under the Chatrier roof.

“There is always that kind of conviction and belief inside of me I can win a slam,” Djokovic said after. “That’s the reason why I’m still competing at this level. That’s why I’m here. At this age I wouldn’t really be competing at the slams and continuing to play professional tennis if I didn’t believe that I possess quality to go all the way to the title match.

“I still of course sense that I have the game and I have the goods to go far. But as I said in the press conference prior to the start of the tournament, I don’t want to get too much ahead of the present day, because I haven’t had really a great form as a lead-up to Roland Garros. So I have to keep my expectations a bit lower.”

Up next, Djokovic will take on Italian talent Lorenzo Musetti who ended the hopes of Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the night session match.

Monfils, playing his 17th French Open, led with a break early on but fell apart and the 22-year-old Musetti rolled taking 15 of the last 20 games.

Daniil Medvedev had the easiest day on the card as Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic retired down 6-1, 5-0 due to an illness.

With more rain hitting the grounds, play didn’t finish until midnight for the men.

Two-time finalist and No. 7 seed Casper Ruud advanced past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in five 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

No. 12 Taylor Fritz topped Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. (Canada’s Denis Shapovalov sent out the 25th-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Slovakia’s Jozef Kovalik shocked the 18th-seeded Karen Khachanov from two sets down 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. (

Eleventh-seeded Alex De Minaur topped Jaume Munar 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. No. 14 Tommy Paul enjoyed a blew out Italian veteran Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-0, 6-2. Felix Auger-Aliassime dismissed Henri Squire of Germany 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev defeated David Goffin in straights 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-2.

Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz Francisco Cerundolo, Jan-Lennard Struff and No. 28 Tomas Martin Etcheverry were also winners.

In the men’s match of the day Holger Rune recovered from 5-0 down in the 5th set breaker to deny Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6[10-7].

Rune made use of his potent backhand, connecting on a laser serve return winner at 0-5 in the breaker, then hitting a few more to pace the comeback which saw him win 10 of the last 12 points.

“Yeah, not a great start to the match tiebreak, obviously. I just switched my brain off a little bit and just tried to go for my shots,” Rune said.

“Then I got great contact on one return at 5-Love. Gained some confidence. And then actually, all of a sudden, it came into my mind a match when Roger played Tennys Sandgren at the Australian Open when he won in five-set match tiebreak as well, and Sandgren had many chances. It was kind of in my mind. I don’t know how it appeared, it just did.

“Roger is always very relaxed when he’s playing. I told myself, okay, let’s try to relax. Then I started to hit my shots better, more freedom, got back on track. He hit a crazy passing shot down the line on a crucial moment. Just happy that I kept fighting.”

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