The top players in the men’s division have had various outcomes during the first week of the 2021 French Open.
As far as the Big 3 is concerned, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have booked their spots in the Final 16 while Roger Federer has decided to retire citing health concerns.
Meanwhile, we will get to see a blockbuster in the quarterfinals as Daniil Medvedev and Stefano Tsitsipas go head-to-head once more.
Since we previously covered the women’s side, now let’s take a look at the latest here in the ATP.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic advance
Two-thirds of the Big 3 in Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the 15th time after eliminating their challengers in the previous round.
Rafael Nadal, who is chasing for his 14th championship in Paris, claimed his 104th triumph in the tournament by beating Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.
Nadal endured a slow start after some uncharacteristic errors which gave Sinner the early edge. However, when the first set was at 5-5, the Spaniard quickly recovered to break again and he served out to take a two-set lead.
Sinner struggled to get into the groove from there and Nadal eventually cruised to a victory. The Spaniard is slated to take on the 10th-seeded Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals, who he defeated in the semis in last year’s edition.
On the other hand, Novak Djokovic had to dig deep in order to avoid an upset against the young and aggressive Lorenzo Mussetti, 6-7 (9-7), 6-7 (7-2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0.
The world no. 1 had to claw his way back from two sets down before the Italian youngster was forced to exit during the penultimate set.
Lorenzo Mussetti almost defied the French Open 2021 odds by playing his best tennis. However, the physical and mental toll got the better of him as the match wore on.
Prior to the start of the deciding set, Mussetti took a medical timeout to get treatment. And once he returned and faced a 4-0 deficit, he opted to retire and shook hands with Novak Djokovic.
The good news is that Mussetti didn’t sustain any serious injuries. Instead, he only suffered from cramps and lower back pain.
Furthermore, Novak Djokovic is going to face Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals, who was the main beneficiary of Roger Federer’s sudden withdrawal from the tournament.
Roger Federer withdraws, looks ahead at Wimbledon
Roger Federer made one of the biggest French Open 2021 news when he decided to pull out of the Roland Garros.
The 39-year-old came from a third-round triumph over Dominik Koepfer and he was expected to take on Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals following an impending win over Matteo Berretini.
But because of his advancing age, Roger Federer needed to pick his spots and it’s clear that the Swiss is focused on grabbing another Wimbledon title.
Federer has won eight times in Wimbledon and achieving a ninth would further boost his legacy since no man over the age of 35 has ever won there.
The Swiss is coming off of two knee surgeries and he has played sparingly this year and his wins over Denis Istomin, Marin Cilic, and Dominik Koepfer should serve as a perfect warmup for Wimbledon.
His decision to pull out got mixed reactions as some saw it as a form of disrespect, while the others such as Andy Murray expressed his support for the Swiss.
Federer has been long known for managing his load for the better part of the decade. And if he somehow wins once more at Wimbledon next month, it’s safe to say that his decision here in Roland Garros is a stroke of genius.
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas renew their rivalry
After solid wins versus Cristian Garin and Pablo Carreno Busta, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are set to lock horns for the eighth time ever in the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
These two young standouts previously met in the Australian Open where the Russian won 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in the semifinals. Both of them have a flawless 3-0 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals so something has to give here in Paris.
Daniil Medvedev owns the advantage in the overall head-to-heads over Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-1), but the Greek has been exceptional in clay courts this season.
We can expect this match to be one for the books so continue to tune in here at SBOTOP as we’ll keep you posted with the best tennis action.
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