PARIS - Petra Kvitova stood wide-eyed and perfectly still, scarcely believing she was through to her first French Open quarterfinal in eight years after winning against Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4 on Monday.
When the chair umpire climbed down and pointed to the mark confirming her two-handed backhand landed just in, she released her emotions. The seventh-seeded Czech player looked up in the air, then blew kisses and waved to the small crowd gathered on Court Philippe Chatrier, the tournament's main stadium.
"Yeah, I got a bit emotional last two points of my match," she said. "My memories, happy memories. When I made my comeback here in 2017, when I step on the Philippe Chatrier, I couldn't really imagine me to be in the quarterfinal of this slam. Everything just came back to me."
Reaching the last eight was less poignant for Novak Djokovic, considering he has done so every year since 2010.
He made sure of an 11th straight French quarterfinal and extended his Open-era record at Roland Garros by beating 15th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, with the roof shut on Chatrier to keep out the persistent rain.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion has not dropped a set so far, but his face looked flushed after some heavy exchanges withstanding the Russian slugger's huge forehand.
Kvitova's two Grand Slam titles were won on the green grass of Wimbledon in 2011 and '14.
Her next opponent, Laura Siegemund, had never previously been beyond the French Open second round and never beyond the third round at any major tournament.
Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic celebrates winning her fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against China's Zhang Shuai in two sets 6-2, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)