Lorenzo Musetti spent his Monday afternoon competing in his first ever match against a top four player, in his first ever outing on one of the four iconic courts and in the fourth round of his first ever grand slam tournament, yet for well over two hours of his fourth round against Novak Djokovic looked like he had been there his entire life. For a fleeting period, Musetti put on a comprehensive demonstration of his talent and his future. He carved out, spun and whipped acute angles with his backhand in equal measure. On his forehand, he shifted seamlessly between deep, heavy topspin and intermittent explosions. All the while, he showed his natural feel is complimented by strong athleticism. After a few of the long, gruelling rallies, it was the world number one who needed extra time to recover. And yet, it wasn’t enough. Musetti only travelled two thirds of the way to victory before the world number one drew on his full breadth of experience to survive, pulling off one of the most lopsided recoveries in recent years. Djokovic reached a 49th career grand slam quarter-final with a 6-7 (7), 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0 ret win. He was followed shortly by Rafael Nadal, who also survived an early scare to dispatch a fellow 19-year-old Italian, Jannik Sinner, 7-5, 6-3, 6-0. As Musetti weaved his web for two sets, Djokovic was not exactly playing terribly. He was too passive, he struggled with his length and he played a dire second tiebreak, but he was right there with Musetti and it reflected in his demeanour. He did not show a hint of frustration or doubt. He knows, far more than any onlooker, just what it takes to concentrate and maintain such a high level in best of five-set matches. He counted on the fact that Musetti, who had never played a best of five-set match before last week, would eventually crumble. After composing himself in the bathroom, that is how the match played out. Musetti started the third set flat and Djokovic never allowed him back in. Djokovic opened with a 10-2 run of points, dismantling his opponent with drop shots and depth, and he carried the momentum until the end. In the fourth set, Djokovic won sixteen points in a row. By the fifth, Djokovic had won 33 of the previous 40 points and Musetti was physically and mentally broken. Following a medical timeout before the fourth set, Musetti bowed out with what he later described as cramps and lower back pain. “I was saying before that I like to play young guys in best-of-five, because I feel even if they are leading a set or two sets to Love as was the case today, I still like my chances,” said Djokovic afterwards. “I feel like I’m physically fit and I know how to wear my opponent down, you know, in the best-of-five match. And I’ve won most of the five-setters I have played in this tournament and in my career, so I think that experience helps.” Just moments later, Musetti’s countryman, Sinner, emerged on Court Philippe Chatrier striking winners at will as the purity of his shots reverberated around the sparsely populated stadium. When it was good, it was glorious and Sinner marched to a 5-3 lead, but as he served for the set he made three consecutive unforced errors and lost his serve to love. Nadal pounced and took the set, 7-5. He faced minimal friction from then on as he moved into his 45th grand slam quarter-final. He faces Diego Schwartzman next, the 10th seed. Djokovic will play another Italian, the ninth-seeded Matteo Berrettini. This will be the first of many grand slams for Musetti while Sinner continues his promising development but this was a day of lessons for the pair and also for their contemporaries watching at home. The first week of Roland Garros has been an excellent tournament for the younger generation – Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are all into the quarters while even younger players such as Musetti, Sinner and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have performed extremely well. But the question remains whether someone can outplay, out-think, and digest pressure better than both Djokovic and Nadal over five sets. In recent years, as long as both have been present, nobody has.