Novak Djokovic carries on, Alexander Zverev goes home to heal his sick body, and the most extraordinary French Open in living memory enters the second week fraught with new worries about the coronavirus.
When Zverev left Roland Garros and was sweating from an undiagnosed fever that he had not reported before losing to Jannik Sinner from Italy in the fourth round, some of those still involved in the tournament had to wonder about their own health. You still wonder.
The Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) declined on Monday to add to its statement from the previous evening that Zverev was “up to date” with its Covid tests, all negative, although the last one was on September 29. The association said he did not consult a tournament doctor before the game despite feeling unwell and did not respond to the reminder that he was facing another test that day.
On Monday evening, Zverev, who refused to address the problem in his conference after the game, told German Eurosport’s Matchball Becker program: “I received the result today. It’s negative. I don’t have covid. I’ve already felt better. I have a cold. “He also claimed that – contrary to the tournament protocols – he was not obliged to” state whether someone was sick or not. “Zverev claimed that the tournament doctor had given him” cold medicine “after admitting that on Friday he was sick because he didn’t want to risk accidentally ingesting a prohibited substance. “The tournament knew [I was ill]”He claimed.
For example, Zverev could be at home in Monte Carlo recovering from a virus that prevented his mother and father from attending his US Open final last month, or he could get up and celebrate within a few days – like after Djokovics Covid-Wrack Balkans exhibition tour in June. His agent Team 8, who also works for Roger Federer, did not respond to inquiries.
Under the umbrella of the Philippe Chatrier court, when rain fell on the outer courts on the ninth day, Djokovic reinforced his claims to the title by beating Russian Karen Khachanov 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 3 to win Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev join the quarterfinals from the top half of the draw.
Khachanov, the number 15, reminded Djokovic of the high quality tennis that he had brought to his only win against him in four attempts in the final of the Paris Masters two years ago, but the number 1 in the world, unbeaten in 35 completed games that year was. Speeding through the aisles to finish the job in two hours and 23 minutes.
“It was pretty competitive, very equal,” said Djokovic, adding that his continued use of the drop shot was designed to “change the pace a lot against Karen who is a strong player.” I tried to move him from the back of the yard. I’m just very happy to have reached this stage of the tournament without losing a set. Now I’m in the quarter-finals and off we go. Vamos. “
Noticing that Djokovic accidentally hit another line official – this time in the game when he returned the serve – Eurosport’s Tim Henman said: “It was a great serve outside of Khachanov and the ball slipped off the line. Novak is in full swing and meets the linesman. Obviously very different circumstances [to New York, where he was disqualified last month]. That was part of the game, but I’m sure Novak had his heart in his mouth. “
Djokovic later said: “It was very awkward, deja vu. I hope he’s fine. I’ll try to see him. “
Zverev’s comments came on a day Paris was put on maximum alert over the virus. All bars were closed for a fortnight and security in hotels and restaurants was tightened.
Sinner, who will play Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, said: “I don’t think I’ll have a fever in the next few days – or I hope [not]. Perhaps I have. I mean you never know “
Rublev said after beating unoccupied Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6: 7, 7: 5, 6: 4, 7: 6 in court before the rain, Suzanne Lenglen to book a quarter-finals against Tsitsipas that he was five on Sunday Days later – I tested negative Zverev is the last. “I did three or four tests in total.”
The Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, one of two hotels that host players and their teams, has also been found to be far from biologically safe. According to the New York Times, nearly half of the 430 rooms were reserved for guests, and Sam Querrey claimed tourists who stayed in the room next to Zverev returned every night with souvenirs from the nearby Eiffel Tower. “The hotel isn’t really a bubble,” said the American.
Back on the pitch, ahead of Tsitsipas and Djokovic, Petra Kvitova was the first winner of the day on Philippe Chatrier and reached her second quarter-finals at Roland Garros when she defeated Zhang Shuai of China 6-2, 6-4. She meets the German world number 66, Laura Siegemund, who defeated Paula Badosa 7: 5, 6: 2.
Kvitova, who made her comeback in 2017 six months after a knife attack on the same pitch, said: “I got a bit emotional in the last two points of my game. My memories, happy memories, when I made my comeback here in 2017 when I stepped on Philippe Chatrier, I couldn’t really imagine making it to the quarter-finals of this slam. It was definitely a long drive. “
