Novak Djokovic Defeats Ricardas Berankis to Reach 2021 French Open 4th Round

Novak Djokovic steamrolled into the fourth round of the 2021 French Open with a dominant 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ricardas Berankis on Saturday at Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

Djokovic, who hasn't dropped a set through three rounds at the season's second Grand Slam, racked up 30 winners and five aces to advance in just 92 minutes. Berankis struggled with 36 unforced errors.

The tournament's No. 1 seed will face unseeded Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16.

Djokovic raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first set, and there wasn't a shred of drama the rest of the way. Berankis wasn't able to generate any break points, and the 34-year-old Serbian converted six of his nine break chances to pull away with ease.

With Saturday's triumph, he became the first men's player to reach the fourth round of the French Open in 12 consecutive years.

While it's hard to consider anyone other than Rafael Nadal, a 13-time French Open champion, the favorite on the clay courts of Roland Garros, Djokovic has made a strong case in the early going.

He's recorded at least 30 winners in each of his three matches, a notable feat given the surface and the fact he's advanced in straight sets in every round. He's also won 81.9 percent of the points (127 of 155) on his first serve. That's a recipe for a lot of quick, efficient wins.

"Maybe for those watching it looked simple, but it wasn't," Djokovic said during his post-match interview. "The conditions were different. How do you say in French ... the bounce was lower. I think I coped well."

Meanwhile, Berankis was no match for the top seed Saturday. He won just 32 percent of points (seven of 22) on his second serve and 25 percent (16 of 67) on the return. He also finished with more double faults (three) than aces (one).

The 30-year-old Lithuanian journeyman was seeking his first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.

Djokovic, who won the Australian Open in February for his 18th major title, will be a heavy favorite against Musetti, who entered the French Open ranked No. 76 in the world. It'll be their first ATP Tour meeting.

His potential road to the championship does get tougher from there, with a path that features possible matchups with Roger Federer, Nadal and second-seeded Daniil Medvedev.