Djokovic wins final 2 sets to avoid earliest Slam exit since 2017

Novak Djokovic won the final two sets to defeat No. 30-seeded Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-7 (3), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, avoiding his earliest Grand Slam loss since the 2017 Australian Open.

The match spanned nearly four-and-a-half hours and finished after 3 a.m. local time in Paris.

Djokovic looked to be down for the count at the end of the third set when he mishit a volley deep to give Musetti the frame. But the World No. 1 rallied in the fourth set, serving it out on his second attempt, and cruised to the finish line in the fifth.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion entered Roland Garros with plenty of question marks after failing to win a title up to this point of the season. He won his first two matches in Paris in straight sets before running into his first major scare of the tournament against Musetti, whose rally skills wowed those who stayed late at Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Djokovic, the all-time leader in Grand Slam championships in men's tennis, won the French Open last year and also prevailed in 2016 and 2021. Incidentally, he overcame a two-set deficit against Musetti during his 2021 title run.

The 37-year-old Serb has reached the quarterfinals of every Grand Slam he's played since the 2020 US Open when he was disqualified in the fourth round for hitting a ball at a line official. He hasn't fallen shy of the fourth round since bowing out in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open, the same year his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met in the final.

Djokovic and Federer are now tied for the most match wins in Grand Slam history with 369. Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion plagued by injuries lately, sits behind them with 314.

Djokovic must reach the final of the French Open to retain his No. 1 ranking.