2021 ROLAND GARROSDAY 9 MEN’S NOTESMonday 7 JuneRound of 16 Top Half

No. 1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) No. 3 Rafael Nadal (ESP) v No. 18 Jannik Sinner (ITA) No. 10 Diego Schwartzman (ARG) v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) On court today… • Both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play Italian teenagers on Court Philippe-Chatrier today, with Djokovic facing unseeded Lorenzo Musetti in the 2nd match of the day, before Nadal takes on Jannik Sinner, the No. 18 seed. Djokovic and Nadal have lost to Italian players at the Grand Slams just once each. Djokovic’s sole defeat to an Italian player at the Grand Slam came in the quarterfinals here in 2018, when he fell to world No. 72 Marco Cecchinato. Nadal’s only Grand Slam loss to an Italian opponent came at the 2015 US Open, when he fell to Fabio Fognini in 5 sets, despite holding a 2-0 lead. The pair are both looking to reach the quarterfinals here for the 15th time in their careers – and Musetti and Sinner will both have to record their first victories over Top 5 opponents if they are to upset Djokovic and Nadal today. • The final member of the ‘Big 3’, Roger Federer, was also due to play an Italian player today, but the Swiss withdrew due to fatigue on Sunday, giving Matteo Berrettini a walkover into the quarterfinals. It was the 5th time in his career that Federer has given a walkover – and the first time he had done so at a Grand Slam. With Berrettini already through to the last 8, it means that should either Musetti or Sinner win today, it will be the first time that 2 Italian men have reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam since 1973 Roland Garros, when Paolo Bertolucci and Adriano Panatta both reached the quarterfinals. Should both Musetti and Sinner win today, it will be the first time in history that 3 Italian men have reached the last 8 at a Grand Slam. • While Sinner already boasts some experience at this level, having reached the quarterfinals here in 2020, Musetti is making his Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros this year. He will aim to channel the spirit of Aslan Karatsev and become the 2nd man this season (but just the 8th in the Open Era) to reach the quarterfinals on his first appearance at a Grand Slam. Aged 19 years 102 days, Musetti would also become just the 2nd teenager to reach the last 8 of the men’s singles at Roland Garros in the last decade. Sinner is the only other teenage man to reach the quarterfinals here in that time – he was 46 days younger than Musetti is now when he reached the last 8 here last year. • On Court Suzanne-Lenglen today, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff takes on No. 10 seed Diego Schwartzman, who has been quietly making his way through the draw with 3 straight-sets victories in the opening week here. Struff recorded his first match-win against a Top 10 player in the 1st round on Tuesday, resisting a comeback from world No. 7 Andrey Rublev to win in 5 sets. Should the German manage another triumph against a Top 10 opponent today, he will reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal on his 30th appearance at the major – he will also become the 8th German in the Open Era to reach the men’s singles quarterfinals here.