Old man river Djokovic flows on and the boy Alcaraz just wants to have fun in front of the fans who have helped Elina Svitolina feel what her husband Gael feels.
Record man, old man
Novak Djokovic pulverized Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in less than two hours to reach the last eight for the 17th time. The 36-year-old beamed his delight about snaffling another record to embellish his legend. There is a downside to this mine of golden goodness though. “It shows I’m not young,” lamented the Serb.
There haven't been any gratuitous cultural references of late. And we're not about to start now. We're full on apt with Donna Summer. What a clamour on Court Suzanne Lenglen for the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in her match against Daria Kasatkina from Russia. There wasn’t a hint of geopolitics about their fervour for the 28-year-old. It was chauvinism. For Elina is married to the Frenchman and fan favourite Gael Monfils. She is also mother to his child. The public roared and cheered for her as she got past the ninth seed 6-4, 7-6. “I can’t be more thankful for your support,” she gushed in her on-court post match interview. As the acclaimed died down, she added: “I can now start to understand what Gael has been feeling all these years.” That got them going even more.
Carlos the charmer
The top seed Carlos Alcaraz absolutely rinsed the unseeded Lorenzo Musetti on centre court. It was 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and nine minutes. Very impressive demolition replete with extravagant strokes and dainty dinks from both sides. “I try to enjoy playing,” said Alcaraz. “Making impossible shots and to get people to enjoy watching the match.” Hey, Carlos, go out with a French girl.
Eighth day
Speaking of ladies … and the first night session to feature a tie from the women’s draw. It pitted the second seed Aryna Sabalenka from Belaraus against the 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens. It was the fourth meeting between the pair with the American seeking her first win. It didn't happen as Sabalenka blasted her way past the 30-year-old 7-6, 6-4 to reach the last eight at the French Open for the first time.
Careful
The Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo is emitting some wild energy. On Day 7, she advanced to the last-16 of the women’s singles after the fourth seed Elena Rybakina succumbed to a virus. On Day 8, Sorribes Tormo and her doubles partner, Marie Bouzkova, reached the quarter-finals following a bizarre sequence between points midway through the second set. Miyu Kato thrashed a ball to the opposite end of the court which accidentally hit a ball girl. The initial call from the umpire was a warning but after it became obvious that the ball girl was in tears, the supervisor was summoned and Kato and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified. After accounting for the 16th seeds, Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo will play the sixth seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez from the United States and Ellen Perez from Australia. We hope they’re being wary about everything.
