French Open: Novak Djokovic beats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in tense third round match
Novak Djokovic’s bizarre French Open campaign rolls on with the tennis legend blasting the crowd for their “disrespectful” conduct as he advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic blasted French Open fans as “disrespectful” after he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tense third round clash on Friday.
Djokovic, chasing a third Roland Garros title and men’s record 23rd Grand Slam crown, came through 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 against the 34th-ranked Spaniard to reach the last 16 for a 14th successive year.
During an often fractious afternoon, Djokovic earned the ire of fans when he took a medical time-out for treatment on his left thigh at the end of the second set having been on Court Philippe Chatrier for the best part of three hours.
The 36-year-old Djokovic, a polarising figure in tennis, gave spectators a sarcastic round of applause and a thumbs-up.
In the third set, he launched a ball skywards in frustration which again brought jeers.
Djokovic mocked his tormentors by mimicking their boos and nodding his head in weary acceptance.
“I think the majority of the people come to enjoy tennis or support one or the other player. But there are people who love to boo every single thing you do,” said Djokovic.
“That’s something that I find disrespectful and I frankly don’t understand that. But it’s their right. They paid for the ticket. They can do whatever they want.
“Actually 99 per cent of the time I will stay quiet but sometimes I will oppose that because I feel when somebody is disrespectful he or she deserves to have an answer to that.” Djokovic’s issues with the notoriously hostile Paris crowd came a day after US player Taylor Fritz pressed his finger to his lips to shush fans after knocking out Arthur Rinderknech, the last remaining French player in the draw.
Fritz then blew kisses to the Court Suzanne Lenglen crowd.
“Up and down,” said Djokovic when asked to describe his love-hate relationship with the Paris crowd who have made no secret of their fondness for the now retired Roger Federer and the absent Rafael Nadal over the years.
On Friday, world number three Djokovic had to come back from breaks down in both opening sets, saving a set point in the second after Davidovich Fokina had failed to serve for the first.
Djokovic dropped serve five times in the match as Davidovich Fokina, a quarter-finalist in 2021, matched him blow for blow in the first two sets.
However, the physical effort took its toll as Djokovic, the champion in 2016 and 2021, swept through the third set.
“I knew it would be a difficult and physical match. We played three hours just for the first two sets. I thought if I lost the second set that we would play for five hours,” said Djokovic.
“He’s an amazing fighter and there aren’t many weaknesses in his game. “But a win is a win and I am very proud of the way I played today.” Next up for the former world number one is a clash with either Polish 13th seed Hubert Hurkacz or Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas.
Djokovic was sluggish throughout the first set.
He retrieved a break to level in the sixth game but was broken again in the 11th, his low-energy mood not helped by a code violation for taking too long between points.
Davidovich-Fokina, who had defeated the Serb on clay in Monte Carlo last year, was unable to back up his second break of the set and Djokovic, suddenly out of his slumber, claimed the tie-break off a blistering forehand service return.
The first set had taken 85 minutes in which the former champion managed just eight winners.
The second set featured six breaks of serve before Davidovich Fokina squandered a set point in the 12th game.
Djokovic claimed the breaker, and bellowed at the crowd. Spectators jeered him as he argued with the umpire before calling the medical time-out.
He then stretched out to a commanding 3-0 lead in the decider and briefly won back the affection of some of the crowd when he helped his opponent courtside after a nasty fall.
Djovokic: Impossible for me to have ‘drama-free Grand Slam’
Outside the French Open press room this week, it was a sweltering 30 degrees. Inside it was a veritable blast furnace as players and media argued back and forth over Kosovo and Ukraine and Russia.
Not to mention sexism and allegations of domestic abuse.
Novak Djokovic admitted that it was impossible for him to have “a drama-free Grand Slam”.
As soon as he scrawled “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” on a TV camera lens in a controversial response to escalating ethnic tensions in the Balkans country, Djokovic again found himself in the crosshairs.
The French sports Minister said his comments were “not appropriate” while the Kosovo Olympic Committee demanded he be sanctioned.
“I would say it again,” said a defiant Djokovic. “Of course I’m aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is. It’s something that I stand for.” On his reaction to the criticism, he told a media conference after making the third round on Wednesday: “I have no more comment on that. I said what I needed to say.” The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the 22-time Grand Slam title winner was within his rights to say what he did, explaining to AFP that “political statements” are not prohibited.
Djokovic’s fellow Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka got involved in a feisty exchange with a Ukrainian journalist over her association with Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko.
“How is it possible that the potential World No. 1 supports a dictator?,” asked the reporter.
“I have no comments to you, so thank you for your question,” said Sabalenka but the journalist would not be cowed.
“You keep saying that nobody supports war, nobody, but can you speak for yourself and say: ‘I, Aryna Sabalenka, flatly condemn the fact that Belarus is attacking Ukraine with missiles, and I want it to stop?’” “I’ve got no comments to you,” repeated Sabalenka.
“So you basically support everything because you cannot speak up? You’re not a small person, Aryna. You can …” He was cut off mid-question by a press conference moderator eager to shift the conversation towards forehands and backhands rather than bloody military conflicts.
“She’s made it clear that she’s not going to answer. Next question. Thank you.” That interrogation followed Sabalenka’s second round match.
Her opener on Sunday had been against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk who was roundly booed for not shaking the hand of the Belarusian.
Kostyuk said she had no respect for Sabalenka for not individually denouncing the role of Belarus in the war.
“I feel like journalists should change the questions that you ask,” said Kostyuk.
“You should ask them who would they want to win the war because if you ask this question, I’m not so sure these people will say that they want Ukraine to win.” Kostyuk bristled when one reporter suggested Sabalenka was caught between a rock and a hard place.
“I don’t know why it’s a difficult situation for her. She might be World No. 1 after this tournament. If you check the statistics in Russia, there is 80 per cent or 85 per cent of people who support this war.
“Just by speaking out, I think she can just send some message.” Away from European military and political crisis, Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild faced down questions over his private life.
In 2021, he was reportedly investigated for abuse of a former girlfriend. He denied the allegations, describing them as “fabricated and vengeful”.
After stunning world number two Daniil Medvedev and obliged to perform a rare, mandatory press conference, the world number 172 blasted a questioner who wanted to know if the case was moving forward.
“I don’t think it’s a subject we should talk about it right here. I don’t think it’s a question you should be making to anybody. I don’t think it comes to you to decide whether it’s a place to be spoken of or not,” said the 23-year-old.
The French Open has routinely faced down allegations over sexism when it comes to scheduling at the tournament.
Under a major new TV deal, night matches have been introduced but in 2022 only one of the 10 night sessions featured a women’s singles match.
This year, all five late sessions have featured a men’s singles match. “It’s their tournament. They do as they please,” said former runner-up Sloane Stephens wearily.
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