By Ayomide Otitoju
Novak Djokovic secured a place in his record 19th Roland Garros quarter-final on Monday with a commanding straight-sets victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
The Serbian world No. 1 breezed past Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a blockbuster clash with third seed Alexander Zverev in the last eight on Wednesday.
With the win, Djokovic becomes the first man to reach 19 quarter-finals at a single Grand Slam tournament—a new benchmark in the Open Era.
“I feel good. I know I can play better,” said Djokovic, reflecting on his 100th French Open win. “But 12 sets played, 12 sets won—it’s been solid so far. Victory number 101 would be better.”
The 38-year-old three-time French Open champion dominated from the outset, breaking Norrie’s serve three times in a lopsided opening set. He held firm in the second, saving a crucial break point to go up 3-2 before closing it out. The final set saw minimal resistance from Norrie as Djokovic sealed the match on his first opportunity.
Djokovic, who is aiming to secure a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title this week, holds an 8-5 advantage in his head-to-head with Zverev. However, he retired due to injury in their last encounter during the Australian Open semi-finals in January.
Norrie, a former top-10 player now ranked 81st in the world, remains winless in six meetings against the Serbian.
Djokovic’s commanding form continues as he chases history once again at Roland Garros.
