Sinner drops only three games as Djokovic sets up Norrie test

Jannik Sinner is looking to win his first French Open title

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app

Jannik Sinner dropped only three games in a ruthless performance as he crushed Jiri Lehecka to reach the French Open fourth round.

The Italian top seed crushed the Czech world number 34 inside one hour and 35 minutes with a 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory.

Sinner won 11 games in a row to start the match, dropped only nine points on serve and hit 31 winners to nine unforced errors in a classy performance.

Later, three-time champion Novak Djokovic defeated Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic in straight sets to set up a fourth-round meeting with Britain's Cameron Norrie.

The Serb won 6-3 6-4 6-2 in a match frequently disrupted by Parisian fans celebrating Paris St-Germain goals in the French club's 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter Milan.

Sinner's success extended his winning streak against players ranked outside the top 20 to 64 successive matches.

"After today I don't think there's much I can improve but every opponent is different," admitted the three-time major champion.

"This morning I said to my team I'm feeling well and physically ready. We had to go hard in the beginning because the beginning is very important for confidence."

Sinner, bidding for a first French Open title, will play 17th seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the quarter-finals.

Russia's Rublev advanced when France's Arthur Fils withdrew before their match with injury.

Sinner has won the past two Grand Slams, triumphing on the US Open and Australian Open hard courts, and his merciless dismantling of Lehecka underlined his status as the man to beat.

The Italian controlled the action from the baseline and showed great athleticism as he moved around the court.

Sinner started on the front foot, making just one unforced error in a 23-minute first set.

Lehecka finally got on the board for 3-1 in the second set - and was greeted by huge cheers from the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

He remained in good spirits despite the scoreline and responded by smiling and raising both arms in the air in celebration.

It was a rare moment of joy for Lehecka, who only won two more games as Sinner continued his sprint towards the finish line, stamping his authority on the performance with an emphatic serve and volley on match point.

Clinical Djokovic 'playing for history'

Novak Djokovic has won 99 French Open men's singles matches

Despite missing nine break points in the first set, it proved to be a clinical display from Djokovic - chasing his 25th Grand Slam title - against Misolic.

The 23-year-old Austrian was playing in the main draw of a major for the first time, having come through qualifying and overcome former top 10 player Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

But he proved no match for Djokovic, who hit just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners and faced only one break point.

"I was solid during the big moments in all three sets," said the 38-year-old.

"Filip had nothing to lose, he's a good friend, we trained together. I'm really happy for him, I'm glad he played so well."

Victory was also Djokovic's 99th at the clay-court major, which he last won in 2023.

"Every time I step on to this court I'm playing for history," he added.

"It's incredible, this sport that has given me everything in my life. I want to give back the love I experience when I'm playing."

Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev saw off unseeded Italian Flavio Cobolli in straight sets to reach the fourth round.

Last year's finalist Zverev won 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 as he continues his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Zverev will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor next after he beat American Ethan Quinn 4-6 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 6-4.

Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2 and will take on British fifth seed Jack Draper in the fourth round following his straight-set win over Brazil's Joao Fonseca.