‘It had to be done’ - Novak Djokovic uses drop shots into the wind to beat Alexander Zverev at French Open

Novak Djokovic in action during his quarter-final match against Alexander Zverev at the French Open last night. Photo: Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq

Novak Djokovic hit a barrage of drop shots to beat Alexander Zverev for a place in the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday and the Serbian said his hand was forced by windy conditions that left him feeling like he had two opponents.

Djokovic produced 35 of the delicate best from his racket in a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 win, his 101st victory at Roland Garros, which kept his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title alive and earned him a semi-final with top seed Jannik Sinner.

"Against the wind, especially that side where I was playing the last game, I felt the wind increased in the last few games," Djokovic told reporters.

"It was almost playing against two players. I feel the ball isn't going anywhere you're hitting it. People don't see that on the TV, but on the court, you can feel it a lot.

"I was just trying to mix it up. At one point, I felt like I couldn't go through him, so I tried to bring him to the net and risk it with the drop shot, serve and volley. It had to be done.

"I was tense, to finish off the match, and he was playing consistent from the back of the court in the last game, wasn't making errors and was making me work."

Djokovic arrived in Paris having won his 100th tour-level title in Geneva to open his account in an otherwise lacklustre year where he crashed out early in several big tournaments.

He said in Madrid that he was coming to terms with a "new reality" in tennis of trying to win a match or two.

"That wasn't a great feeling, but it's something I haven't experienced for many years, 20 years I've been playing. That's why I said I have to try to find a way to bounce back at the Grand Slams," he added.

"It's no secret it's been like that for years but especially now it's all about Grand Slams for me, trying to raise the level and play my best tennis at these four tournaments. This is what I've been managing to do.

"The win against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the win in the quarter-finals tonight against Zverev proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level, and I just thrive on these occasions.

"This is where I lock in and really give my best. So I just hope that I'll be able to physically keep up with Sinner in few days' time. It's a big challenge for me."

Novak Djokovic will play World No 1 Jannik Sinner in the pick of the men’s semi-finals, while Carlos Alcaraz meets in-form Lorenzo Musetti in another high-quality semi-final match on Friday.

Meanwhile, Lois Boisson sent the Roland Garros faithful into a state of euphoria on Wednesday, conjuring the unimaginable as she toppled Russian wunderkind Mirra Andreeva 7-6(6) 6-3 to reach the French Open semi-finals.

In her maiden Grand Slam main draw appearance, granted via a wild card, the world No. 361 became the first Frenchwoman to reach the Roland Garros last four since Marion Bartoli in 2011. Boisson will face Coco Gauff later this afternoon.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek will face World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster French Open semi-final today (2pm, Irish time) and their first meeting at a grand slam in almost three years.

Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman in the Open era to win four titles in a row at Roland Garros and extended her winning streak at the to 26 matches by overcoming Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

Sabalenka is aiming to win her first French Open title and is yet to drop a set. The World No 1, who won the titles at the US Open and Australian Open, defeated Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in the quarters.

Swiatek and Sabalenka last played at a grand slam in the US Open semi-finals, with Swiatek winning in three sets on her way to lifting the title in New York. The Pole leads their overall head-to-head 8-4.

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