Novak Djokovic powers into record 10th straight French Open quarter-final with easy straight sets victory

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic’s dream to join Rod Laver as the only two players to hold all four majors at the same time twice is alive after his easy passage through to the French Open quarter-finals.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continued his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously for the second time by thrashing Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the French Open fourth round on Monday.

The 32-year-old Serbian was in irrepressible form as he romped to a 6-3 6-2 6-2 win to set up a quarter-final against either Italian Fabio Fognini or fifth seed Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic is the first man to make the last eight in Paris for 10 successive seasons. It’s his 13th appearance in the quarter-finals overall.

“It was tricky with the rain, but that’s Paris,” said the 2016 champion after playing in drizzly conditions.

“I’m really confident with my serve. I hope it continues like that.”

Only Australian great Rod Laver has held all four majors at the same time twice before, after his calendar Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969.

But top seed Djokovic, who first held all four when he won his maiden Roland Garros title three years ago, is looking to following Laver’s footsteps after adding the Australian Open trophy earlier this year to his 2018 Wimbledon and US Open titles.

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Novak Djokovic is the first man to make the last eight in Paris for 10 successive seasons.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion powered 31 winners past world No. 45 Struff on Court Philippe Chatrier and made only 12 unforced errors.

He broke serve five times in the match and did not face a break point until stumbling slightly when serving for victory.

Djokovic saved that, though, as Struff netted, and he booked a quarter-final spot on his first match point.

Meanwhile, Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori came back from 1-4 and 3-5 down in the final set to beat Benoit Paire of France and set-up a quarter-final clash against defending champion Rafael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic didn’t mind pulling out the party tricks.

Nishikori won 6-2 6-7 (8/10) 6-2 6-7 (8/10) 7-5 in a shade under four hours to reach his third last-eight clash at the French Open.

“He almost had it today,” said Nishikori who had led two sets to one when the last-16 tie was suspended on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his fourth round victory.

“He served for the match at 5-3 but I just tried to fight and play one point at a time.”

The 29-year-old Japanese could have wrapped it up in the fourth set when he had two match points but he squandered both, the second on a double fault.

Paire, the world No. 38 who was trying to make the quarter-final of a Slam for the first time, was eventually undone by 15 double faults and 79 unforced errors.

Originally published as Novak Djokovic powers into record 10th straight French Open quarter-final with easy straight sets victory