Novak Djokovic came through a five-set epic against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the French Open, which ended at 03:07 local time in Paris.

In a third-round contest that did not start until 22:37 on Saturday, towards the end of a rain-affected day at Roland Garros, the defending champion fought back from two sets to one down to win 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 2-6 6-3 6-0.

The 37-year-old from Serbia appeared to be on the brink of exiting the tournament at the hands of an inspired Musetti, the 30th seed.

But a rejuvenated Djokovic found fresh momentum midway through the fourth set, reeling off six consecutive breaks of serve to force – and then ease to victory in – a decider.

There was a warm embrace between the pair at the conclusion of the match, with Djokovic joining the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd in applauding his 22-year-old opponent in what was the latest finish in French Open history.

Victory in four hours and 29 minutes continued the world number one’s bid for a fourth French Open crown and he will play 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the last 16.

“I don’t want to get into it [the schedule]. I have my opinions but I think there are great things to talk about in this match today,” said Djokovic.

“Both Lorenzo and my performances stand out so I don’t want to be talking about the schedule. I think some things could have been handled a different way but there’s also a beauty in winning a match [so late].”