Djokovic activates the intractable and record mode at Roland Garros

But against Juan Pablo Varillas, 27 years old and 94 in the world, Djokovic showed himself in all his splendor. Despite the wind, the heat. It was the Djokovic of airplane mode, activated and loose, in the quarterfinals without breaking a sweat. And with another record for the bag. He qualified for the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the seventeenth time, fourteen in a row, and beats Nadal, who had 16.

Rods, what has been said, was not Nadal or Bautista or Davidovich. He is a willful player, nothing to object to his neat tennis and his great victories at this Roland Garros: Bautista 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1; Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6 and 6-2. But before Djokovic he ran out of strength or danger. At no time did he put the Serb in trouble, moving wonderfully around the Chatrier arena as if it were his house, accepting the role of new owner in the absence of Nadal.

If he committed six double faults against the man from Malaga and at times won only 30% of the points with his first serve, he was close to one hundred percent against Varillas. If the right got stuck more than necessary against the Spaniard when the wind was blowing in his favor, he dominated the eddies without a hint of doubt against the Peruvian. The same Djokovic, another version.

The one that serves to calibrate the champion suit that he had not yet fully taken out at this Roland Garros. He hadn’t had the need before, able to get serious when things got a little complicated by his own doubts. He already knows that he is there, that if the opponent does not play one hundred percent it will be difficult to bother him. He already knows the rival that his tennis is the one with the great moments.

Karen Khachanov, his next opponent, has taken note. The Russian, who already matched Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid, has been in Paris for two rounds of quality and confidence: against Thanasi Kokkinakis (6-4, 6-1, 3-6 and 7-6 (5)) and this Sunday against Lorenzo Sonego, raising a bad first set (1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and 6-1). They have met nine times and eight have fallen on the Serb’s side. Only in the final of the Masters 1,000 in Paris in 2018 did the Russian take victory (7-5 ​​and 6-4).

However, Djokovic continues his love-hate relationship with the stands. Before Davidovich they complained about his attitude with whistles and he responded by encouraging them even more, and even more so when he asked for the assistance of the physio at the end of the game. Ante Varillas also smiled wryly after a point in which he received boos. Later, yes, parliament in French to try to ingratiate himself. “Thank you very much for your presence here. I have felt your energy, which is very important to me.”