French Open PIX: Djokovic, Zverev battle from the brink

Images from Day 7 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on Saturday.

Novak Djokovic's bid for a 25th Grand Slam briefly hung by a thread on a cold and damp Saturday night at Roland Garros but the Serbian battled back for a 7-5, 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Lorenzo Musetti in the latest ever French Open finish.

The reigning champion showcased the iron will that has made him one of the game's greatest players to avoid defeat in a thrilling third-round contest that got underway at 10.37 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Some 4-1/2 hours later at 3.06 a.m. on Sunday morning, the fans who had huddled up under rugs as the 37-year-old orchestrated his superb fightback rose to their feet to lift the roof of the main showcourt.

"He played a fantastic match and came very close to victory," Djokovic said on court.

"I was in great difficulties but thanks to your support in the fourth set, I became a different player. It was perhaps the best match I have played here."

Djokovic recovered from an early loss of serve and went toe to toe with the Italian in the draining first set before edging in front with a crucial break in the 12th game thanks to some incredible defending.

The world number one lowered his head and gasped for air following that lengthy rally, but was soon in cruise control in the second set with a spectacular drop that gave him a 3-1 lead.

Musetti, though, broke back and drew level at 4-4 before saving a set point in a high-quality tie break to level the match and

The 30th seed took his game up a few notches to break and surge ahead in the third set, before sealing it comfortably as alarm bells began to ring for a fading Djokovic.

Djokovic, who ranted about the state of the surface to the umpire, suddenly rediscovered his rhythm to wrap up the fourth before pulling away from his exhausted opponent in the decider.

"Who's going to sleep now?" Djokovic added. "It's impossible to sleep, so much adrenaline. If you're having a party, I'm coming."

Zverev survives Griekspoor scare

World number four Alexander Zverev survived a marathon match to beat Tallon Griekspoor 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) in the third round on Saturday and keep alive his hopes of a first Grand Slam title.

Zverev, semi-finalist for the last three years, had not dropped a set in his opening two matches, including a first- round win over Rafa Nadal, but he was on the back foot when the Dutch 26th seed won the opening set.

The German finally broke serve when leading 5-4 in the second set to level the match and made lighter work of the third set and when Griekspoor took a medical timeout it appeared that Zverev would have little trouble closing out victory.

The Dutch 27-year-old forced a deciding set, however, and held a 4-1 advantage after two breaks of serve before Zverev roared back to win four consecutive games.

Griekspoor kept his nerve to force a tiebreak, but after an enthralling match lasting over four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier, it was Zverev who fired down an ace to clinch the tiebreak.

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka temporarily put her friendship with Spaniard Paula Badosa on the back burner to secure a hard-fought 7-5 6-1 third-round victory on Saturday and keep alive her hopes of a maiden Roland Garros title.

The pair have enjoyed a strong bond since 2021 but there was no quarter given in a see-sawing first set as they swapped early breaks before Badosa attacked Sabalenka's powerful serve in the sixth game, edging ahead with a return that hit the net cord.

"It's tough to play your best friend. She's an incredible player coming back after injury and I'm pretty sure she's going to be back on top very soon," said Sabalenka, who improved her head-to-head record with Badosa to 5-2.

"On court we're opponents, I'm trying not to watch on the other side, just trying to focus on myself and just bring my best game, but anyway they're tough matches against her."

Spurred into action, the powerful Australian Open champion broke back and let out a scream that was met with cheers from fans on Philippe Chatrier court, before she recovered another loss of serve against her fellow 26-year-old.

Last year's semi-finalist hit a monster forehand to go up 6-5 and came up with a delightful backhand slice from the deep en route to closing out the opening set, as world number 139 Badosa reflected on her missed opportunities.

The former world number two, who has struggled with a back problem in recent years while Sabalenka captured two Grand Slam titles, got off to a disappointing start in the second set as her Belarusian opponent reeled off four games in a row.

Sabalenka produced a superb drop to set up match point and the knockout blow came in the form of an unforced error from the racket of the unseeded Badosa, but was quickly followed by a warm hug at the net.

"Some days it's actually getting more complicated to play," Sabalenka said of the variety in her game.

"You have so many options, you're thinking too much but today was a day where I wasn't thinking that much, I was just feeling the game and I was trusting myself and just was going for all the shots."

Sabalenka, who is bidding to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 to claim the Australian Open and Roland Garros titles in the same season, next faces American 14th seed Madison Keys or 22nd seed Emma Navarro.

Medvedev overcomes fearless Machac

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev beat Tomas Machac 7-6(4), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 in an entertaining clash under the roof on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Saturday to move into the French Open last 16.

Machac was in the limelight last month when he stunned world number one Novak Djokovic in the Geneva Open semi-finals for the biggest win of his career and he pushed Medvedev in a match lasting nearly 3-1/2 hours.

Having taken the first two sets, Medvedev lost his way and capitulated in the third after he broke Machac, with the Czech player winning the next six games to the delight of a crowd starved of action on a rainy day in Paris.

Medvedev refocused in the fourth set, however, and despite Machac's bold attempts to force a decider, the Russian stepped up in the crucial points to advance.

Rybakina eases into fourth round

World number four Elena Rybakina continued to fly under the radar as she enjoyed a routine 6-4, 6-2 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens at the French Open on Saturday to ease into the fourth round.

Rybakina, a former Wimbledon champion, is looking to improve on her best performance of quarter-finalist on the Paris red clay, in 2021.

The Russian-born Kazakh lost her serve twice in the first set but maintained the upper hand by breaking all of the Belgian's remaining serves in the set.

Strong shots and better serving in the second set allowed the 24-year-old Rybakina to end the match in little over an hour.