Djokovic blasts French Open fans after reaching last 16

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 timeout 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 percent 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.Yesterday, 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. Next up for the former world number one is a clash with either Polish 13th seed Hubert Hurkacz or Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas.Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over former semi-finalist Diego Schwartzman. The Greek fifth seed, who a blew a two-set lead to Djokovic in the 2021 final, will next play Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner after making the second week for a fifth straight year. Tsitsipas also lost the Australian Open showpiece to Djokovic earlier this year.Meanwhile, women’s third seed Jessica Pegula and men’s seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev were dumped out of the tournament. Italian Lorenzo Sonego battled back from two sets down to knock out Rublev and reach the last 16 for the second time. The world number 48 was two points from defeat during a fourth-set tie-break but prevailed 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 after three hours and 42 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen.Sonego will face Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a possible quarter-final meeting with Djokovic. "Incredible comeback today,” he said. "I played more aggressive than in the first and second sets because when he’s aggressive it’s tough to compete against him.”Eleventh seed Khachanov ended Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis’ run with an entertaining 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) win. American Pegula’s hopes of a deep run in Paris were ended in comprehensive fashion by Belgian Elise Mertens. The 28th seed cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 victory to reach the fourth round for the third time.World number three Pegula, who only has two WTA Tour titles to her name, has still never passed the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam tournament. "I’m very happy to win in two sets. She’s a very good player,” said Mertens. The former Australian Open semi-finalist will next face 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.Aryna Sabalenka refused to do an official post-match press conference after powering into the last 16 for the first time with a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova. The Belarusian claimed she "did not feel safe” when asked to condemn her country’s support of Russia’s war in Ukraine during a press conference earlier this week.The second seed is yet to drop a set in the tournament after a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against world number 82 Rakhimova. Sabalenka is one of the favourites for the championship after a fine start to the year and will usurp Iga Swiatek as world number one if she lifts the title. "I should be able to feel safe when I do interviews with the journalists after my matches,” she told selected media.Sabalenka will face either former US Open champion Sloane Stephens or Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in the fourth round. Russian Daria Kasatkina, a semi-finalist last year, raced into the second week by thrashing American Peyton Stearns 6-0, 6-1 in under an hour. The ninth seed will next face Elina Svitolina for a place in the quarter-finals.Ukrainian Svitolina reached the fourth round on her first Grand Slam appearance since the 2022 Australian Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Blinkova. She is now on an eight-match winning run after also clinching the title in Strasbourg last week, beating Russian Blinkova in the final.Third round results (x denotes seeded player)Men: Sebastian Ofner (AUT) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Novak Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP x29) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; Karen Khachanov (x11) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5); Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Andrey Rublev (x7) 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3Women: Elina Avanesyan bt Clara Tauson (DEN) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova bt Anastasia Potapova (x24) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; Elise Mertens (BEL x28) bt Jessica Pegula (USA x3) 6-1, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Anna Blinkova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Daria Kasatkina (x9) bt Peyton Stearns (USA) 6-0, 6-1; Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Aryna Sabalenka (x2) bt Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2