Djokovic’s streak hits 41

Associated Press

PARIS

Even if Novak Djokovic is tennis’ man of the moment, there’s a long, long way to go before he’d approach most of Roger Federer’s many accomplishments.

So far to go, really, that it’s not worth discussing.

Still, there is one area in which, as of Wednesday, the two men are equal: Djokovic was credited with his 41st consecutive victory — matching the best streak of Federer’s career — when second-round opponent Victor Hanescu of Romania quit at the French Open because of a left leg injury.

“I’m not thinking about when this streak — this amazing streak — will end. So I guess that’s the right mental approach,” said the second-seeded Djokovic, who was serving at 6-4, 6-1, 2-3, 30-love when Hanescu decided to stop playing at Court Philippe Chatrier.

It was a far quieter and less theatrical ending than what transpired a few hours later on Court 1. Sabine Lisicki of Germany was bothered by dizziness and muscle cramps and was carried off on a stretcher, sobbing, after wasting a match point and a 5-2 lead in the third set of a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 loss to two-time Grand Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva of Russia. Lisicki was treated by a trainer — including a blood-pressure check — during changeovers.

“I hope she feels OK,” the No. 3-seeded Zvonareva said. “No matter what, I had to keep doing my job.”

Also reaching the third round: No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, past champions Francesca Schiavone of Italy and Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur of Australia, and unseeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States.

Men’s winners included No. 3 Federer, No. 7 David Ferrer of Spain, and three Frenchmen: No. 9 Gael Monfils and No. 13 Richard Gasquet.

Federer improved his career second-round mark at Grand Slam tournaments to 42-0 by beating French wild-card entry Maxime Teixeira 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Teixeira is ranked 181st and never had played a tour-level match until winning in the first round Sunday.

Federer, who counts the 2009 French Open among his record 16 Grand Slam titles, knows what it’s like to be the inexperienced kid across the net from one of the greats. Back on Oct. 6, 1998, Federer played his sixth career match against Andre Agassi at Basel, Switzerland, and lost 6-3, 6-2.

“You know, on the one hand, that you can’t win,” said Federer, who went on a 41-match unbeaten run from August 2006 to March 2007. “And if you win, it’s like a miracle.”

Federer’s record of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals ended with a loss in the French Open quarterfinals a year ago. If he makes it to the semifinals this time, he could meet Djokovic.

“He has had a lot of streaks and a lot of records that he’s broken. I mean, look, he has won the most Grand Slams. He’s the most successful tennis player ever. There is not much to say about that,” said Djokovic.