French Open

Novak Djokovic squeezes through to the round of 16

World number one Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided a third-round exit at the French Open in a memorable five-set thriller. The Serb converted his first match point at 3:06 on Sunday night to beat the Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7:5, 6:7(6), 2:6, 6:3, 6:0.

The 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner had to fight for four and a half hours to reach the round of 16. There he will meet the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo.

He was full of adrenaline and certainly couldn't sleep, Djokovic said smiling in French in the interview on Court Philippe Chatrier: "So, if there's a party somewhere, I'm going! Let's go!" He paid Musetti "great respect. I told him at the net that he played an incredible match. He was very close to winning it." After trailing 1:2 in sets against the brilliant Italian, the top seeded defending champion Djokovic turned on the heat and put on a show of strength in the end.

Djokovic sets Federer record
With his 369th victory in a Grand Slam match, the 37-year-old Serb equaled the record of Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer. With his 24 Grand Slam tournament victories, he has long since surpassed Federer (20) and Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal (22).

Djokovic said before his first serve in the Stade Roland Garros that he was starting this year in Paris with "low expectations and high hopes". The former dominator on the tour has not yet found his rhythm this season and has not yet won a tournament. "Of course that affects me," Djokovic admitted.