Djokovic jeered but into French Open quarter-finals where he faces Nadal

Novak Djokovic showed glimpses of his brilliant best to demolish Diego Schwartzman and book his place in the French Open quarter-finals where he will face 13-time champion Rafael Nadal.

The defending champion and world No 1 made it through to his 52nd Grand Slam quarter-final without the minimum of fuss, easing past Argentina's Schwartzman 6-1 6-3 6-3 in two and a quarter hours.

Nadal set up the much-anticipated quarter-final against his nemesis, but it took some doing after he was taken to five sets for only the third time at Roland Garros.

The Spaniard eventually got past ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliasimme 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3.

Schwartzman was clearly being backed by a large South American and Spanish contingent on Court Suzanne Lenglen with Djokovic booed as he walked on to court.

By the third set, Djokovic cupped his ear at a strangely-hostile crowd as he marched towards victory.

"I have a lot of respect for him. He's a good guy on and off the court and he's a clay-court specialist so it's not easy especially in slow conditions today with a ball that was not bouncing high," said Djokovic of Schwartzman, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2020.

"I found the good serves at the right moments."

Djokovic, back on the Grand Slam scene after being barred by local authorities from playing at the Australian Open over his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, was barely threatened by the diminutive Schwartzman as he reached the last eight here for the 13th year in a row.

Nadal later won his fourth-round match against Auger-Aliassime to set up a mouth-watering tie against his great rival.

It will be the 59th head-to-head clash between Djokovic and Nadal, more than any other two men in the professional era of tennis.

Djokov