News Sports Tennis French Open 2021: Nadal, Djokovic face Italian teenagers in 4th round today

French Open 2021: Nadal, Djokovic face Italian teenagers in 4th round today

Jannik Sinner will take on Rafael Nadal while Lorenzo Musetti awaits Novak Djokovic as the duo becomes first Italian to reach French Open fourth round since 2006.

Rafael Nadal Image Source : GETTY IMAGESFile photo of Rafael Nadal.

Two teenagers have reached the men's fourth round at the French Open for the first time since 2006. For 19-year-old Italians Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, the reward will be matches against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Nadal faces Sinner, a rising star seeded 18th. Djokovic plays Musetti, who is coming off an arduous five-set win in the third round.

This is the first time in the Open era that Italy has had three men in the round of 16 at a Grand Slam. Italian Matteo Berrettini has already advanced to the quarterfinals with a walkover after Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament.

American Sofia Kenin is the highest-seeded player left in the women's draw at No. 4, and she'll face Maria Sakkari.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek plays unseeded Marta Kostyuk, and 17-year-old American Coco Gauff bids for her first quarterfinal berth in a major event when she takes on Ons Jabeur.

MONDAY’S FORECAST

Partly cloudy. High of 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celsius).

SUNDAY’S WEATHER

Partly cloudy. High of 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celsius).

SUNDAY’S KEY RESULTS

Women’s Fourth Round: No. 21 Elena Rybakina beat No. 7 Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5; No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat No. 15 Victoria Azarenka 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; No. 33 Paula Badosa beat No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Tamara Zidansek beat Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Men’s Fourth Round: No. 2 Daniil Medvedev beat No. 22 Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 7-5; No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2, 7-5; No. 6 Alexander Zverev beat Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-1, 6-1; Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

STAT OF THE DAY

0-4 — Daniil Medvedev's career record at Roland Garros entering the tournament. He's now 4-4 and into the quarterfinals, where he'll face Stefanos Tsitsipas.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s just incredible — even that I’m still playing tennis." — Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who reached the French Open quarterfinals as a 19-year-old and has done it again 10 years later.