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Images from Day 9 at the French Open
Djokovic reaches 10th successive French Open quarter-final
Top seed Novak Djokovic’s untroubled progress continued at the French Open as he chalked up a fourth successive straight-sets victory on Monday, this time outclassing Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the quarter-finals.
His 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 defeat of the 45th-ranked German means Djokovic is the first man to reach 10 successive quarter-finals at Roland Garros — a feat even Rafael Nadal has not achieved.
Struff was bidding to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final and provided some early resistance in drizzly conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic had an early chance to break in the second game but Struff won a fierce baseline rally to avert the danger.
It felt like only a matter of time before Djokovic moved up a gear though, and in the seventh game he brought up two more break points with a stunning backhand passing shot.
He duly converted with a smash after softening up Struff with a series of punishing groundstrokes into the corners.
After holding serve to take the opening set, Djokovic rolled through the next two in cruise control, making only 11 unforced errors in the one hour 33 minute workout.
He will face either Italian Fabio Fognini or German’s Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final.
Djokovic is bidding to become only the second man to hold all four Grand Slams simultaneously twice, having first achieved the feat three years ago when he won his only French Open title.
Halep in haste as defending champion swings into last eight
Defending champion Simona Halep hurried into the French Open quarter-finals by sweeping aside Polish teenager Iga Swiatek in a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Third seed Halep produced a nearly flawless performance on Court Philippe Chatrier against a bold opponent who turned 18 last Friday.
The Romanian will now face either American teenager Amanda Anisimova or Spain's Aliona Bolsova.
Swiatek came out with all guns blazing but clearly failed to master her raw power, bowing out after 45 minutes when Halep whipped a forehand winner down the line.
"I have a good feeling, I feel good on court and I'm not stressing myself about the result," said Halep.
Barty too hot for Kenin as Aussie's French Open run continues
Ashleigh Barty's impressive run at the French Open continued on Monday when the Australian saw off American Sofia Kenin 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals.
The eighth seed, who claimed a career-boosting title at the Miami Open this year, will play her second Grand Slam last-eight match against another American, Madison Keys.
The 14th-seeded Keys experienced little trouble in a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Czech Katerina Siniakova.
"I just wanted to enjoy myself here, play with freedom," said Barty, who also reached the last eight at the Australian Open this year.
Barty rushed to a 5-1 lead, wrapping up the opening set on serve after Kenin briefly threatened a comeback by pulling a break back.
The American had found her range, though, and she went 3-0 up in the second, pulling her opponent around the court -- just as she did in beating 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the previous round.
She saved two break points at 5-3 and levelled the tie at the third attempt when Barty fluffed a forehand.
But she had nothing left in the tank in the decider, being fed a bagel that put a brutal end to her Paris run.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Keys was always in control against world number 42 Siniakova, advancing smoothly in light drizzle.
After easing into a one-set lead Keys, a semi-finalist here last year, encountered some resistance from Siniakova, who however bowed out on her serve when she sent a forehand long.
Thiem tames Monfils to advance into last eight in Paris
Last year's runner-up Dominic Thiem made light work of Gael Monfils as he ended French presence in the singles draw with a no-nonsense 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the French Open quarter-finals.
The Austrian fourth seed, widely regarded as the man standing between a final showdown between world number one Novak Djokovic and 11-times champion Rafael Nadal, wiped 14th seed Monfils off Court Philippe Chatrier in expeditious fashion.
He will next face either Russian Karen Khachanov or Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro for a place in the last four, where he could meet Serbian Djokovic.
"It was my best match of the tournament so far, some great rallies; it's always fun to play Gael," said Thiem, who advanced in straight sets for the first time this year.
Thiem took full advantage of Monfils misfiring early on to move 4-0 ahead.
It was a necessary cushion as the Frenchman, finally hitting his stride, won four of the five following games. Thiem served for the set at 5-4 and Monfils could offer no resistance.
There was more of a contest in the second set which went on serve until the ninth game, when Monfils hit long to hand his opponent a decisive break.
The Frenchman had no choice but to applaud his opponent after the Austrian hit a winner with a between-the-legs shot after a quick exchange at the net.
Thiem broke for 2-1 but wasted another opportunity in the fifth game. It did not prove costly, however, as Monfils had long lost the thread.
No French woman reached the third round at Roland Garros this year and, in the men's draw, Monfils's defeat followed that of Benoit Paire, who lost focus in a five-set match against Kei Nishikori earlier on Monday.
Nishikori reaches quarters as Frenchman goes 'Paire-shaped'
Kei Nishikori extinguished the hot-headed Benoit Paire's fiery challenge to book his place in the quarter-finals of the French Open with an error-strewn 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-7(8), 7-5 victory.
Local favourite Paire's focus, or lack of, was the key to a match that was interrupted by failing light on Sunday, as the Japanese seventh seed set up a meeting with 11-time champion Rafael Nadal.
The match resumed on Court Suzanne Lenglen at two sets to one, with Paire taking command in the fourth with an early break.
He then wasted a chance to get another break and Nishikori eventually forced a tiebreak only to get tight-armed, wasting two match points on serve before handing a set point with an ugly double fault.
Paire, who hit a woeful 79 unforced errors -- including 16 double faults -- this time converted.
He went 3-1 up in the decider as Nishikori continued to lack consistency, then 5-3 up with another break immediately after himself handing a break to his Japanese opponent.
Serving for the match, however, Paire dropped serve, and then did so again to allow Nishikori to lead 6-5 with his service to come.
This time, Nishikori delivered to reach the Roland Garros last eight for the third time, although his display suggests he is unlikely to progress further, with Nadal resting on his 33rd birthday on Monday.
Zverev beats Fognini to return to quarter-finals
German fifth seed Alexander Zverev reached his second successive French Open quarter-final when he recovered from losing the first set to beat Italian Fabio Fognini.
Zverev, 22, struggled with his timing initially against the mercurial Italian but with his opponent's level fluctuating wildly he played solidly thereafter to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(5).
Blocking his path to a first Grand Slam semi-final will be top seed and world number one Novak Djokovic.
Zverev played a dreadful service game at 3-4 in the first set, double-faulting twice then framing a forehand out to gift Fognini the break which he backed up by holding serve to love.
The German ranted at his watching father and coach and seemed in trouble again early in the second set.
Fognini threatened again at 2-2 but Zverev responded with a superb dipping forehand pass on breakpoint down. Two more double-faults offered Fognini another couple of chances to break, but Zverev fired down aces to save both.
It proved a turning point as Zverev suddenly focussed on the job in hand and he broke the Fognini serve in the next game and then again to level the match.
Zverev seized on a Fognini dropshot to whip away a forehand and break serve for 3-1 in the third set and the Italian's frustration boiled over in the next game when he lopped a forehand long and slammed his racket on to the court.
Fognini, who beat Zverev on his way to the Monte Carlo title in April, scattered his rackets then called for the trainer to have strapping applied to his right calf.
The errors mounted up and a double-fault ended the third set.
He was still a danger though and forced the fourth set into a tiebreak. Zverev went 6-3 ahead but wasted his first match point before Fognini belted a forehand winner on the second.
Zverev made sure on the next point as Fognini slapped a forehand wide.
