Novak Djokovic criticized the crowd at Roland Garros and said he hoped he would not face more French players as he was booed throughout his match against Frenchman Valentin Royer.Djokovic extended his latest bid for a 25th Grand Slam title with a hard-fought four-set victory over Royer in the second round, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(9), 6-3. It was the second consecutive match in which the Serbian defeated France’s Giovanni Mpetschi Pericard after knocking him out in the first round.At one point during the match, accusing the home crowd of a lack of respect, Djokovic mockingly clapped at the crowd as they booed and the umpire told them to calm down. “Ladies and gentlemen, please show some respect to both players,” said the umpire. “He has no respect, no respect,” Djokovic immediately said.“I hope I don’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Serbin said after the win.Vintage Djokovic dominated the first two sets. The three-time Roland-Garros winner was reading Royer’s patterns and hitting a series of laser-focused shots. But Royer refused to back down and the 24-year-old’s persistence was rewarded as he landed a hook forehand to level the third set at 4-4.In the tiebreak and Djokovic holds the match point at 6-5. Once again, Royer refused to surrender, bringing bold hits and nimble movement to keep the 24-time major winner on the back foot. A few points later and Djokovic’s backhand traveled long, prompting a memorable roar from the Paris faithful as the clash continued.“I’m satisfied. Obviously, it feels different when you win a match. It’s a very important victory in difficult circumstances for both players. It was very hot and I think Valentine deserves a lot of credit for his performance today,” Djokovic said in the post-match press conference.
Do you think Novak Djokovic should have more respect for the Roland Garros crowd?
“It was a very difficult match, a challenge from the start. It’s normal that things get difficult on the court in such conditions and atmosphere. I hope I don’t have to play another French player again until the end of the tournament!” He, who now has an incredible 14-0 record against the French at Roland Garros, added after the match.With a win, Serbia has reached a record 21st consecutive Roland-Garros third round. On top of that, the 39-year-old became the first man to play 120 matches at a single Grand Slam event, surpassing Roger Federer’s Wimbledon tally of 119.The former world No. 1 will next face Brazil’s 28th seed Joao Fonseca, who staged a stunning comeback to beat Croatia’s Dino Prismic in two sets to book his place in the third round.
