Austrian tyro Dominic Thiem was enjoying his most successful run at a Grand Slam after beating Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Belgian David Goffin.
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Djokovic will be hoping he does not face another soggy day as he will be back in action on Thursday to contest his 28th successive major quarterfinal against Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victor over 2013 runner-up David Ferrer.
The 32-year-old Australian, a finalist at Roland Garros in 2010, beat sixth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania 7-6 (0), 6-3.
SEVERAL DELAYS This year’s Roland Garros was hit by rain delays on the opening Sunday when just 10 of the scheduled 32 ties were completed in a little over four hours of play.
Holders Serena Williams and Stan Wawrinka and British second seed Andy Murray, who takes on local favorite Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals, are also on the day’s schedule. Then they watch maybe an hour and then they go home, and two days ago, [there were] no matches at all.
There was some consolation in the women’s draw though, as two fourth rounds clashes saw completion, with Sam Stosur and Tsevetlana Pironkova advancing.
And all that was on top of the latest French Open stoppage: a almost three-hour delay on Thursday, which took place less than an hour after players took the court for their fourth-round and quarterfinal matches.
French Open director Guy Forget defended the tournament’s actions.
“If what we are being accused of were true, it would have been in our best interests to stop play before the one-hour, 59-minute mark as our insurer would have been responsible for ticket reimbursement. I have the feeling I played three matches against him”, said Djokovic, wearing courtside interviewer Fabrice Santoro’s yellow rain hat.
Bautista Agut, seeded 14th, is a dogged competitor and he frustrated Djokovic’s attempts to finish the match off quickly.
The tournament organisers later announced that both of the Williams sisters’ matches were also cancelled, with Serena’s match against Elina Svitolina and Venus’ match against Timea Bacsinszky also put back until Wednesday.
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Djokovic is through to a 28th consecutive grand slam quarter-final, putting him clear in second place behind Roger Federer, whose record stands at 36.
