Novak Djokovic faced a challenging match in the U.S. Open as he struggled with his serve, making it a tense affair on Wednesday night. The defending champion admitted he should have lost the second set, and noted that an injury to his opponent, Laslo Djere, contributed to his eventual victory.
Djokovic, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the third round after Djere had to retire while trailing 6-4, 6-4, 2-0. Djere had been holding a 4-2 lead in the second set when he began to experience hip pain, prompting a visit from the trainer. Although he completed the set, which lasted 69 minutes, he was unable to continue.
“It’s not the kind of finish that we players or crowd want to see, but I believe it’s likely due to the physical battle in the opening two sets,” Djokovic said after the match.
With this victory, Djokovic notched his 90th win at the U.S. Open, making him the first man to achieve this milestone at all four Grand Slam events. He is set to play No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin on Friday.
Recalling their encounter from the previous year, when Djere was the only player to win a set against him, Djokovic acknowledged the importance of strong serving. “I knew that if I didn’t serve well, which was the case, I would need to really work for my points,” he stated, noting that the match’s slow rhythm contributed to the lengthy duration of the first two sets.
During the match, Djokovic recorded only 47% on his first serves and showed signs of physical strain. Djere had two chances to break Djokovic’s serve that could have given him a 5-2 lead in the second set, but he ultimately could not secure another game. Djokovic capitalized on a critical moment, breaking Djere’s serve to clinch the second set after a forehand miss.
“Overall, I have to be happy with the win, and I’m glad that in critical moments I was able to play one ball more and find the right shots,” Djokovic concluded.