French Open day six: Norrie in action, Djokovic battles through – live

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Key events

Musetti beats Norrie! 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Norrie runs down a drop shot but butchers his attempted half-volley and it drops well wide for 15-0. Musetti then produces maybe the point of the match, hustling to keep the ball alive when under pressure, then destroying a forehand on the run into the open court. That is too good, as the telly commentators are so fond of saying. The Italian has three match points …

He wastes match point No 1 with a sloppy half-volley from the baseline. But Norrie miscues a forehand on the next point and it’s all over!

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, *5-4 Norrie (*denotes next server)

A cracking cross-court forehand pass, on the run, clinches a break of serve from Musetti! Norrie was building momentum through this set, but now the Italian can serve for the match.

Hurkacz is a set to the good v Varillas, 6-3, 2-1, while Tsitsipas and Schwartzman are 2-2 in the second. The Greek player won the first set 6-2.

Musetti 6-1, 5-2, 4-4* Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie buys a break point. Musetti saves it on second serve, unloading aggressively from the baseline, despite teetering on the brink of surrendering his serve.

Musetti quickly secures a game point, but he double faults, and it’s back to deuce … there is a bit of to-ing and fro-ing in a deuce battle. Musetti thumps an ace down the middle, from deuce, then produces another big first serve that Norrie miscues. All square in the third. But Norrie is in the game.

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, *3-4 Norrie (*denotes next server)

Better! Norrie is moving around the court and hitting with far more confidence, not to mention accuracy. Musetti looks a little alarmed, as if his opponent has removed the lid from his own coffin and vaulted himself back to life.

Cameron Norrie in action against Lorenzo Musetti. Photograph: Ella Ling/Shutterstock

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, 3-3* Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie nabs a break point, his first of the match, and suddenly he is hitting the ball with plenty of authority. Musetti shapes a couple of good strokes from the baseline, trying to save the break point, but Norrie fires an excellent forehand winner cross-court to get back on terms in the third set.

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, *3-2 Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie does the necessary and holds to exert at least a bit of pressure on his Italian opponent.

Hurkacz is 5-2 and a break up against Varillas. Tsitsipas is 5-2 up on Schwartzman in their first set, having broken twice to his opponent’s once.

Musetti 6-1, 5-2, 3-1* Norrie (*denotes next server)

Musetti has been serving well, and keeps it up in the latest game. A fluffed drop volley by Norrie doesn’t hurt. Norrie has yet to have a break point in this match. Musetti has won five of 14. That’s quite a stat.

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, *2-1 Norrie (*denotes next server)

A horrendous missed volley by Norrie hands the initiative to his opponent in that latest game initially, but he fights back well to win it and get himself on the board in the third. The players sit down for a drink. Norrie nods and seemingly attempts to gee himself up for an attempt to get back into this match. And he puts some fresh tape on his racket for good measure.

Musetti 6-1, 5-2, 2-0* Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie’s having a genuine ’mare here.

Why’d you choke out there, Baumer?

Richie Tenenbaum. Photograph: Touchstone/Allstar

Courtney Walsh reports on Thanasi Kokkinakis’s defeat earlier today:

“Prone on his back at Roland Garros after slipping on match point in a thriller against Karen Khachanov on Friday, Thanasi Kokkinakis could have been excused for cursing. A lot.”

Musetti 6-1, 6-2, *1-0 Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie falls a break down immediately in the third set. His head is bowed, he looks utterly flummoxed by his lack of form and the relentless stream of errors. Musetti is playing well, no question, but Norrie’s not firing at all.

Stephens beats Putintseva! 6-3, 3-6, 6-2!

Sabalenka will face Stephens in the next round. The winner of the 2017 US Open seems to be picking up impressive momentum and will be a difficult opponent for the Belarusian.

Tumaini Carayol

Aryna Sabalenka opted out of a post-match press conference after her third-round win over Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday following a number of tense exchanges with a Ukrainian reporter about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after previous rounds here.

Musetti wins the second set v Norrie: 6-1, 6-2

Deep trouble for the British No 1.

Two other third-round men’s singles matches have just begun:

Varillas v Hurkacz [13] and Schwartzman 0-2 Tsitsipas

Musetti 6-1, *5-2 Norrie (*denotes next server)

Double break up for the Italian now. Norrie is not at the races.

Musetti 6-1, 4-2* Norrie (*denotes next server)

The Italian backs up the break, and continues what’s been a commanding display thus far.

Musetti 6-1, *3-2 Norrie (*denotes next server)

Norrie has just saved two of three break points … but he fails to save the third. The Italian breaks for the third time in the match, and the first time in this second set.

Right, how is Norrie getting on?

Djokovic speaks: “I knew it was going to be very difficult, very physical, we played three hours only two sets. He [Davidovich Fokina] is an amazing fighter, an amazing player, not many weaknesses in his game. Congratulations to him for fighting. Bad luck, but he played a great match.”

He’s asked if it was a good test – or perhaps too good a test?

“A win is a win. Maybe a bit too much [effort and time], the first two sets. I thought if I lose the second set, we’d probably play five hours today. But you have to be ready. That’s what a grand slam it about … it takes a lot of effort … I’m proud of the performance today, for sure.”

Djokovic applauds the crowd as he walks off. The boo-boys audible earlier have faded away. And Djokovic has strolled away for an evening of relaxation. C’est ça.

The crowd cheered Djokovic’s win generously. Will there be any boos during the on-court interview? Let’s see …

Davidovich Fokina strolls off. “He’ll come out of this feeling like he can hang with the big boys,” says McEnroe on Eurosport commentary.

Novak Djokovic is congratulated by Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, right, after he won the third round match of the French Open tennis Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

Djokovic beats Davidovich Fokina! 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2

Mistakes keep coming from Davidovich Fokina and it’s quickly 0-30. Djokovic is almost dipping for the finish line. But then he clumps a forehand long, and it’s 15-30 … but soon 15-40 thanks to another keenly constructed point.

Davidovich Fokina saves the first break point with some muscular hitting. But the second ends with another error from the Spaniard, hitting fractionally long. The players embrace warmly at the net.

Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-2* Davidovich Fokina (*denotes next server)

The players each hold serve, and Djokovic is a game away from a place in the last 16.

Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 4-1* Davidovich Fokina (*denotes next server)

Djokovic is two games away from a straight-sets win. If he does win it in straight sets, I fancy he’d rank it as one of the toughest three-set victories of his career.

It’ll be interesting to see what he says to the crowd, because he’s taken plenty off them, and given plenty back.

That is of course assuming that Djokovic wins the match. But I think that is a safe assumption, even if Djokovic is currently shouting at his team, shouting at himself, shouting at the universe.