Un, Deux, Trois: Daunting Djokovic; Anisimova and Swiatek lead charge
Week one comes to a close and the anticipation builds for the second half of Roland Garros.
Week one is over but there's still a long way to the title. These are the three takeaways from day seven at Roland Garros.
1. Headed for 'Novak Slam II'?
Novak Djokovic continues to seamlessly slide his way through the French Open. The Serb hasn't come close to dropping a set and has extended his Grand Slam win streak to 24 matches with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Italian qualifier Salvatore Caruso Saturday. Having left the court in the middle of the first set, it appeared Djokovic was briefly affected by the heat, but he returned unfazed and in command.
He is four wins away from holding all four Grand Slams in his possession for the second time. Djokovic won the French Open in 2016 to complete his first 'Novak Slam' and over the past 11 months, has crept up on Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) for the most major titles with 15.
Although he cannot cross paths with Federer or Nadal until the final, Djokovic won't be looking ahead that far: his half sports proven clay-court players such as Dominic Thiem and Fabio Fognini, fifth seed Alexander Zverev, eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro and home favorite Gael Monfils.
2. Del Potro vs. Khachanov
Juan Martin Del Potro and Karen Khachanov have faced each other on three occasions, with Del Potro coming out victorious every time in 2018. They have never battled on the clay but come Monday, they will fight for a spot in the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Del Potro quickly ousted Jordan Thompson on Saturday, claiming a decisive 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 victory. Last year, he suffered an unexpected knee injury when he fell during his third-round match against Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. The Argentine reached the final of the 2018 US Open and the semifinals of this event before his injury occurred. Looking to maintain his health, Del Potro is building towards another strong run in Paris.
Karen Khachanov has endured eight opening-round exits this year but is on the fast track to turning it all around. Although the Russian didn't make much noise this clay-court season, he's back in a city he loves. Just last year, he beat four consecutive Top 10 players to win the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris. He'll look to recapture that magic in a matchup he's yet to be on the winning side of.
3. The future is coming... now?
Earlier this year at the Australian Open, American Amanda Anisimova became the first player born in the 2000s to reach week two of a major. Five months later, Anisimova repeated the feat after defeating Irina-Camelia Begu, 7-6 (6), 6-4, on Saturday. A second member joined the 17-year-old, as Poland's Iga Swiatek, 18, rallied past Monica Puig, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.
It’s been a tournament showcasing the next wave of talent on the women’s side: Kaia Kanepi is the only player over 30 to reach the last 16. In addition to Anisimova and Swiatek, four more players 21 and under will compete in the back half of the event, alongside Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Sloane Stephens, and reigning titlist Simona Halep.
Catch up on Week 1 at Roland Garros on the TENNIS.com Podcast:
