Novak Djokovic achieves new milestone at Monte Carlo Masters

Exactly a year has passed since Novak Djokovic suffered a staggering defeat to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters. The echoes of that shocking upset threatened to resurface at this year's tournament, as Musetti took an early lead in the first set during their clash on Thursday night. But toppling Djokovic twice in the same event is a Herculean task. 

With an unwavering display of resilience, the indomitable world No.1, fresh off his split with former coach Goran Ivanisevic, refused to be deterred by setbacks. Instead, he harnessed his inner strength and found the necessary consistency at crucial junctures to power through. 

In a resounding fashion, Djokovic secured his place in the quarterfinals, leaving Musetti in his wake with a commanding 7-5, 6-3 victory. Notably, this achievement elevates Djokovic to esteemed company, as he joins Rafael Nadal as the only players in the Open era to reach the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters a remarkable 10 times.

"I don't think I am still at my top level but it was a great test today against a great player, a very talented player," Djokovic said after the win. "I lost to him last year here, similar circumstances. I was a set and 4-2 up and I must say it was in the back of my mind when I was serving at 4-2, 40/15 and lost my serve today. I thought, 'Oh no, hopefully this is not similar scenario like last year'. I am really glad to overcome the challenge and look forward to the next one."

The Serbian legend will undoubtedly be aiming to secure a spot in the tournament's semifinals, a feat he has not achieved since his triumphant title victory nine years ago. His opponent in the quarterfinals will be none other than Australia's Alex de Minaur, who earned his place with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin.  

Meanwhile, Musetti's compatriot Jannik Sinner secured a solid victory over Jan-Lennard Struff from Germany 6-4, 6-2. This sets up an intriguing quarterfinal clash for Sinner against either Danish seventh seed Holger Rune or Bulgarian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov.  

On the other hand, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered an unexpected defeat, falling 6-3, 7-5 to fellow Russian Karen Khachanov. Khachanov's impressive performance earns him a spot in the quarterfinals, where he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek 12th seed, who overcame Germany's Alexander Zverev with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) victory. The stage is set for some captivating matchups in the next round.