Novak Djokovic into French quarters for 14th straight year - ESPN

Novak Djokovic inched closer to a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title by crushing Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to reach the French Open quarterfinals.

No. 3 Djokovic, who is currently tied with Rafael Nadal with 22 major titles, was untroubled by his 94th-ranked opponent, the first Peruvian in 29 years to reach a Grand Slam fourth round, on a windy day on Court Philippe Chatrier.

He attacked Varillas at every opportunity to avoid being drawn into lengthy baseline battles that had seen the 27-year-old win all of his three previous rounds in five-set marathons.

With Sunday's win, Novak Djokovic moved into solo second place for the most Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances by men or women in the Open era (since 1968), breaking a tie with Chris Evert and Serena Williams. He will need four more to pass longtime rival Roger Federer for the all-time mark.

Varillas lost the vast majority of the shorter rallies and could not find a way back into the match. Djokovic faces No. 11 Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.

A two-time champion in Paris, Djokovic has now reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for a record 17th time, one more than Nadal, who missed the tournament this year and recently underwent hip surgery.

Djokovic's 14 straight quarterfinal appearances at Roland Garros also set a record for the most consecutive quarterfinals by a male player in the Open era (since 1968), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Jimmy Connors reached 13 straight US Open quarterfinals from 1973 to 1985. The second-longest streak at the French Open is nine by Roger Federer from 2005 to 2013.

«I am proud of all the records, but it also means I am not young anymore,» said the 36-year-old Djokovic. «It was the best level of