Paris:
In the fourth round of the US Open last month – when Novak Djokovic and Pablo Careno Busta shared the court, the result shocked the tennis world.
Djokovic, the world number one for the title in New York, was disqualified after accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball, while Spaniard Carrero Busta reached the semifinals.
The pair meet again in the French Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.
“Nice, that’s the second match, isn’t it? It’s the second match against the world number one,” 17th-ranked Kareno Busta told reporters.
“I don’t think (this incident) will come to my mind because it’s something that never happens normally. I think he’s ready to fight again.”
Top-ranked Djokovic is making a remarkable appearance at the age of 33, when he lifted the Italian Open title before winning his first four matches at Roland Garros without missing a match.
However, Serb knows he doesn’t understand how to cheer against 29-year-old Kareno Busta, who grew up competing on clay courts across Europe.
“He has very good hands, great returns. It puts you under a lot of pressure,” Djokovic said. “It goes very well … obviously, like all Spanish players, he grew up playing on clay.
“Maybe these positions can also fit him nicely because the ball doesn’t rise too high. He plays quite flat from both angles. He prefers really slow surfaces.”
Greece’s fifth-ranked Stefanos Sitsipas is also in action on Wednesday as he looks to avenge his final defeat at the Hamburg Open against 13th-ranked Andrei Rublev of Russia.
In the women’s draw, Australian Australian Open champion Sofia Canin faces American Daniel Collins, while Germany’s Laura Sijemund faces two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
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