Djokovic avenges Musetti defeat from last year in Monte-Carlo, reaches quarter-finals

World No 1 Novak Djokovic came through a topsy-turvy match with Lorenzo Musetti as he beat the Italian 7-5, 6-3 to move into the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday, avenging his defeat by the same player at the same stage last year.

Djokovic had to come from a break down in the first set and then let slip a 4-2 lead in the second before finishing things off in style. He’ll play No 11 seed Alex de Minaur next.

“He was the better player for seven, eight games,” Djokovic admitted. “He’s a very tough player to play on this surface particularly. He was making me run but that 4-3 game, he was 40-0 up, I had a bit of an exchange with the crowd and ever since then I stated to gain momentum.”

“I don’t think I’m still at the my top level but it was a great test today against a very talented player. I lost against him last year when I was a set and 4-2 up and I must say it was in the back of my mind when I was a break up and lost my serve, I was like, oh no.

“But I guess I stayed tough in the right moments, put some pressure on him and it paid off.”

Ten quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo for Djokovic

Djokovic’s win means he has now reached the quarter-finals or better on 10 occasions in Monte-Carlo, second only to Rafael Nadal, with 16.

In the previous round, the 36-year-old Serb beat Russian Roman Safiullin (6-1, 6-2). Musetti, ranked No 24, won against American Taylor Fritz, the No 13 seed (6-4, 6-4) and Frenchman Arthur Fils (6-3, 7-5) earlier in the tournament.

Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, other last 16 results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 5.950.575, most recent results first):

• Hubert Hurkacz vs. Casper Ruud
• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Ugo Humbert
• Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Jannik Sinner
• Holger Rune vs. Grigor Dimitrov: thursday
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (12) beat Alexander Zverev (5): 7-5, 7-6 (3)
• Karen Khachanov (15) beat Daniil Medvedev (4): 6-3, 7-5
• Alex De Minaur beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-3, 6-4