French Open QF preview and prediction: Djokovic vs. Carreno Busta

In his French Open fourth-round match against Karen Khachanov, Novak Djokovic hit a return off the frame that ricocheted into a linesperson’s face.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will go up against none other than Pablo Carreno Busta.

It is deja vu all over again for the world No. 1, who was infamously defaulted from the U.S. Open for accidentally hitting a lineswoman with a ball out of frustration while trailing Carreno Busta 6-5 in the opening set of their fourth-round contest.

Unsurprisingly, that marks the Spaniard’s lone “win” in the head-to-head series. Djokovic had won all three of their previous encounters, including two on clay. He prevailed 6-0, 6-1 at the 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at the same event in 2017, and 6-3, 6-4 at last year’s Cincinnati Masters.

Carreno Busta’s “win” also marks Djokovic’s lone “loss” of the season. The 33-year-old is otherwise sporting an undefeated 35-0 record, with titles at the Australian Open, Doha, Cincinnati, and Rome. So far at Roland-Garros he has not dropped a set while disposing of Mikael Ymer, Ricardas Berankis, Daniel Elahi Galan, and Karen Khachanov.

Although not exactly at the same level, Carreno Busta is also playing some of the best tennis of his career. The world No. 18 followed up Djokovic’s default by reaching the semifinals in New York and coming within one set of being a Grand Slam finalist. He is back in a slam quarterfinal for the fourth time in his career (second in Paris) following victories over John Millman, Guido Pella, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Daniel Altmaier.

“Everyone knows (what happened in New York,” Carreno Busta said. “But I think this is another match; another battle…. I think it was bad luck. This is a tough situation for him. I know that he didn’t want to do this. Sometimes (it) is better to forget it. I think Novak is a great player; a great person. Sometimes we cannot control our emotions. We have to do it. Sometimes (it) is not easy. (It was) a mistake.

“I don’t think [it will] come into my mind (on Wednesday), because (it) is something that normally never happens. Of course, I’m not thinking [that it] happens again. I (am) just thinking about doing my best, try to do a good match, have the opportunities to be close on the score.”

Just keeping it close would represent a strong effort, because no Djokovic has managed to do it so far this fortnight and few have even done it this whole season. The top seed quite literally has unfinished business with Carreno Busta and he will likely finish it in swift fashion.

Pick: Djokovic in 3