Djokovic survives major scare at French Open

CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

World number one Novak Djokovic survived a huge scare as he fought back from two sets down against teenager Lorenzo Musetti to reach the French Open quarter-finals.

His Italian opponent retired in the fifth set.

Top seed Djokovic was outplayed by an inspired Musetti as he lost two tiebreaks, but the match then changed dramatically as the Serb fought back to win 6-7(7) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-0 4-0.

It was unclear exactly what happened to world number 76 Musetti whose stylish game was threatening to send Djokovic to his earliest Roland Garros exit since 2009.

Having produced tennis of the highest calibre in two sensational sets, Musetti then lost the third set in 24 minutes and did not even get a point in set four until the fifth game as the match slipped away from him.

A relieved Djokovic went 4-0 ahead in the decider before Musetti decided he could not continue.

It was an anti-climactic end to what was brewing up to be a seismic shock in a tournament full of surprises.

More from Sports

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Score

    7:00pm - 9:00pm

    Hosted by Chris McHardy, The Score is your comprehensive guide to the world of sport.

  • The Music Mix

    9:00pm - 11:00pm

    Enjoy your favourite music back to back commercial free, tune in to the Music Mix everyday from 1 until 2 for the music you love and the news updates you need

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!