Italy's Marco Cecchinato celebrates winning his fourth round match against Belgium's David Goffin in four sets 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's Marco Cecchinato celebrates winning his fourth round match against Belgium's David Goffin in four sets 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates winning his fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Russia's Karen Khachanov in five sets 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic eyes the ball as he plays Spain's Fernando Verdasco during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 3, 2018 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Germany's Alexander Zverev throws his racket after missing a shot against Russia's Karen Khachanov during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Austria's Dominic Thiem reacts as he plays Japan's Kei Nishikori during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 3, 2018 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Sloane Stephens of the U.S. waves to the crowd after defeating Estonia's Anett Kontaveit during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 3, 2018 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki returns a shot against France's Pauline Parmentier during their third round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Friday, June 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic cheers the audience after defeating Spain's Fernando Verdasco during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 3, 2018 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Italy's Marco Cecchinato, right, clenches his fist after scoring a point against Belgium's David Goffin, bottom left, during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Belgium's David Goffin wipes his forehead during his fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Marco Cecchinato at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
PARIS – Sloane Stephens, the 10th-seeded American, reached the last eight on Sunday in Paris at the French Open for the first time, beating No. 25 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 6-0.
On the men’s side, second-seeded Alexander Zverev reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal the hard way, beating Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday for his third consecutive comeback win in five sets at the tournament.
The gritty victory came with the usual temper flare-ups from Zverev. But the German player also showed, once again, that he knows how to dig deep when it matters. In all three of his five-setters at Roland Garros, he has trailed 2-1 in sets.
“I’m young. I might as well stay on court and entertain you guys,” the 21-year-old Zverev joked with the crowd. “This definitely paid off, the hours in the gym every day ... Everything comes together slowly and I’m happy to be here.”
Zverev says he spends up to four hours each day working on weights and fitness. He might well need to up that schedule considering his quarterfinal opponent is No. 7 Dominic Thiem of Austria, who is one of the fittest players on the men’s circuit and has reached the past two semifinals at Roland Garros.
Thiem, who has played three consecutive four-setters, beat No. 19 Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Novak Djokovic equaled Roger Federer’s mark of reaching nine consecutive quarterfinals by beating No. 30 seed Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. It’s also Djokovic’s 12th career trip to the round of eight in Paris, a record for the 50-year professional era. Djokovic advanced to his 40th Grand Slam quarterfinal.
In women’s play, 13th-seeded Madison Keys reached the quarterfinals for the first time at Roland Garros after beating No. 31 Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania 6-1, 6-4 on Chatrier.
“I made the final of the U.S. Open but lost to my friend Sloane Stephens,” Keys said. “Hopefully, big things can happen here.”
Keys next faces unseeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, who beat 26th-seeded Czech Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-3.
If she wins that match, Keys could meet Stephens in the semifinals.
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