French Open 2023 quarter final live: Updates as Novak Djokovic locks horns with Karen Khachanov

It’s all over! Djokovic comes through a stern test, serving the contest out to love, to secure a spot in the last four in three hours and 39 minutes.

The Serb’s quest for a third RG crown – and a record 23rd major title – remains on course as he books a place in his 45th semi-final and 12th at Roland Garros. He meets either Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas next.

Boom! That’s how your respond to a setback. Djokovic breaks to love with a rasping return after a drops-hot put-away combo had conjured up triple break point. The Serb will now serve for the match.

It’s a catalogue of errors and Djokovic has certainly slipped some way off that A-game form of the last set.

Indeed, Khachanov doesn’t have to do too much as 15-40, 2-4 down becomes 4-4 out of nowhere as the Serb double faults to cough up the game.

Khachanov hits three loose groundstrokes long and Nole’s eyes light up.

A massive forehand and a clutch serve drag the Russian to deuce before more excellent serving just about keeps in this quarter final.

Khachanov is giving it everything – and sometimes a little too much. A howitzer of a forehand down the line perks his interest at 15-15 but he then slams a crosscourt backhand attempt into the net. Djoker easily holds from there to move within sight of the finish line.

Khachanov is still in their fighting! It may prove to be in vain, but he’s found a new surge of energy. The Russian makes quick work of a hold to 15, gliding Nole’s pick-up from his drop shot down the line before slamming the door shut with his second ace of the game.

That’s a relief for Djokovic but will surely only do more damage to Karen’s belief/hope.

The Russian tries to take advantage of a sudden dip from his opponent, who throws in a couple of double faults in an 11 and a half minute game.

Khachanov dances around the court when he saves one game point with a tweener that Nole somehow fails to swat away at the net.

The Serb responds with a sizzling forehand and a delicious drop shot before holding his arm aloft in delight.

There was an air of inevitability that the break was coming.

The Serb is like a dog with a bone, he just hasn’t let go since that second-set tie break.

Khachanov looks fatigued and the first serve has gone AWOL on him. It leaves him open to Djoker to raise the stakes on the return and he duly breaks to 15 by swooping into the forecourt and brushing away a 47th winner via the forehand.

Novak rattles through a blink and you’ll miss it hold to swagger on to the board.

Novak Djokovic says it was an "honour" to meet Paris Saint-Germain stars Lionel Messi and Neymar along with his children Stefan and Tara.

The alarm bells ring for Karen as he fires a backhand long and a forehand wide to open Set 4.

Any break here would surely be curtains and he digs extra deep to surge back, coming up with a timely serve-plus-one before Djokovic helps him over the line with a miscued forehand into the net.

The Serb hits the front!

Djokovic polishes off a real purple patch as he serves out Set 3 to love.

He’s one away from reaching his reach his 45th major semi-final and 12th at Roland Garros.

It’s looking bleak for Karen now.

Djokovic is seeing it like a beach ball and crunches away another couple of forehands before clinching the double break with a bewitching drop shot from deep.

It doesn’t get much better than that. Djokovic waves his wand of a racquet and zaps four forehand winners to dart through another clean hold.

We are two hours and 40 minutes in and the Serb has found another gear.