'A little exchange!' – Djokovic plays with crowd, sees off Musetti to reach quarters

Novak Djokovic’s recovery from a concerning start to 2024 continued by impressively overcoming Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters, moving into the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-3 win.

The world No. 1 recently split with coach Goran Ivansevic and pulled out of the Miami Open to “balance [his] personal and professional schedule” following a shock early exit at Indian Wells.

Indeed, the Serbian has struggled in the clay-court event since lifting the trophy back in 2015. His joint-best performances in that period have been quarter-final appearances in 2017 and 2019.

Last year, he crashed out to Musetti in round three, and the Italian began the contest in the mood to repeat the trick. He took a 2-0 lead in the first set, before going 4-2 up with a lovely drop shot against an off-form Djokovic.

That immediately changed. The 24-time Grand Slam champion wrestled back control by going 5-4 up, with Musetti’s composure completely deserting him – including imploding from a 40-0 lead.

En route, Djokovic had time for some classic trolling of the Italian contingent of the crowd in Monaco, orchestrating the boos and jeers with a smile on his face before breaking serve. Musetti pulled a game back, but lost the two crucial ones as his esteemed opponent took the first set 7-5.

Djokovic quickly took a two-game lead in the second as he looked to close out proceedings, but Musetti continued to cause some problems, closing in to 2-1 and then 4-3 deficits.

But ultimately it proved to be an ideal afternoon for the two-time Monte Carlo winner – a good test against a solid opponent, but one that ended in a victory without being too strenuous on the body, thanks to a 6-3 second set.

Reflecting on the turning point of the match, Djokovic said: “It was a little exchange with the crowd – ever since then, I started to gain momentum. He dropped his level a little bit. He was the better player. This is clay – things can turn around very quickly. A break of serve is not as big an advantage as it is on other surfaces.

“Pleasure in suffering, that’s what play gives you. I don’t think I’m at my top level. He’s a very talented player, particularly on clay. I’m really glad to overcome the challenge and take one day at a time.”

Djokovic – who earlier this week broke Roger Federer’s record as the oldest man to be ranked No. 1 by the ATP, six weeks shy of his 37th birthday – now takes on Alex de Minaur. The Australian progressed to the final eight by defeating Alexei Popyrin 6-3 6-4.

If the 36-year-old now goes on to win the tournament, he will become the first man to be a three-time winner of every Grand Slam, the ATP Finals and all nine ATP Masters events.

Djokovic is also gearing up for a return to this part of the world in May, eyeing a fourth career French Open title as great rival Rafael Nadal continues to struggle with muscle injuries.