Novak Djokovic inched closer to a record 23rd Grand Slam title by crushing Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open.

No. 3 Djokovic, who is currently tied with Rafael Nadal with 22 major titles, had no trouble with his 94th-ranked opponent, the first Peruvian in 29 years to reach a Grand Slam fourth round, on a windy day in the court Philippe Chatrier.

He attacked Varillas at every opportunity to avoid being embroiled in lengthy baseline battles in which the 27-year-old had won his previous three rounds in marathon five-setters.

Varillas lost the vast majority of the shorter rallies and was unable to find a way to get back into the match. Djokovic faces No. 11 Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.

Djokovic also moved one step closer to a potential semifinal matchup with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 17 Lorenzo Musetti. .

A two-time champion in Paris, Djokovic has now reached the quarterfinals for a record 17th time, one more than Nadal, who missed the tournament this year and recently underwent hip surgery.

“I really hope that his rehabilitation process can go well and that we can see him next season. He is very important for our game, on and off the court, one of the greatest tennis legends in the history of the game,” Djokovic said. . of Nadal. “We want to see a healthy Rafa, there is no doubt about it.”

Djokovic’s 14 consecutive quarterfinal appearances at Roland Garros also set a record for the most consecutive quarterfinals by a men’s player in the Open era (since 1968), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Jimmy Connors reached 13 consecutive US Open quarterfinals between 1973 and 1985. The second-longest streak at the French Open is nine by Roger Federer between 2005 and 2013.

“I’m proud of all the records, but it also means that I’m not young anymore,” said Djokovic, 36. “It was the best level of tennis I’ve ever played here, so I’m very satisfied.”

Djokovic finished with more than twice as many winners, 35-15, and fewer unforced errors. He went 15 of 17 on trips to the net. He hit 80% of his first serves. He converted 6 of 12 break points and dropped serve just once.

On paper, Musetti had all the tools to unsettle Alcaraz: touch, a superb backhand and a victory on clay in their only match. On the court, however, the Italian player had nothing to bother his opponent.

Alcaraz had too much firepower and grit for Musetti, who was also tortured at the net on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I had a high quality of shots, I played very aggressive and he played a complete game from the first point to the last one, so I’m happy to go to the next round,” Alcaraz said. “I try not to think about being world number 1 or the pressure. All these thoughts, I keep them out of my mind. I just want to have fun, entertain the crowd and smile. This is the key to everything.”

Alcaraz will face No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas or Sebastian Ofner in the quarterfinals with a possible Djokovic matchup just around the corner.

Khachanov showed good stamina to defeat Italian Lorenzo Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-1 to reach the French Open quarterfinals for the second time.

The Russian player looked out of sorts in the first set before finding her range on the Suzanne Lenglen court, using her forehand to devastating effect.

Sonego never quite recovered from blowing a 4-0 lead in the third set tiebreaker, which turned out to be the turning point. He fell behind 5-6 and saved the first set point but double faulted the second.

“After the first set and a half, I was thinking, what am I doing here? I was hitting all over the place, so I decided that all I could do was fight,” said Khachanov, who reached the semifinals in the past. two Grand Slams at the US Open and the Australian Open.

Khachanov is 0-2 in Grand Slams against Djokovic, including a straight-sets loss in 2020, and is 1-8 overall, losing their last seven meetings.

“It’s one of the toughest tasks, the toughest opponents,” Khachanov said of Djokovic, “and you can’t rule it out.”

Sonego was strong on serve, not facing a single break point, as he outclassed his opponent in a one-sided first set that he sealed when Khachanov hit a forehand cross.

Khachanov brought his best game into the second set to level the contest. Losing the third set broke Sonego’s momentum and his game, while a bloated Khachanov skated into the fourth set, prevailing on the first match point.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.