Djokovic fights back from two sets down to reach U.S. Open final 16
Send a link to a friend
[September 02, 2023]
By Steve Keating
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A tenacious Novak Djokovic survived a U.S. Open
late night fright battling back from two sets down to tame fellow
Serb Laslo Djere 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-3 on Friday, and move into the
fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
On the ropes and reeling Djokovic, as he has done many times before,
he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in front a record crowd
inside a breathless Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
It marked the 38th time Djokovic has won a five-setter and kept
alive the 36-year-old's quest for a fourth U.S. Open crown that
would pull him level with Margaret Court's record haul of 24 Grand
Slams.
"I hope you enjoyed the show, it was not so enjoyable for me
especially in the first two sets," Djokovic told the crowd. "It was
one of the toughest matches I have played here in many years."
Djokovic had looked imperious in his opening two matches
surrendering only 11 games in blowout wins over Frenchman Alexandre
Muller and Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles but his 32nd seeded
countryman proved a far tougher test.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/02/images/ads/current/lincolnag_sda_FAIR_2023.png)
The two Serbs had only clashed once before that in Belgrade last
year but there were signs then that Djere was a danger, with the
contest needing three sets and two tie-breaks before Djokovic claim
the win.
Djere signalled to Djokovic he was in for more of the same on Friday
when he broke the second-seed to start the match and then held his
nerve the rest of set for an unexpected and well-earned 1-0 lead.
Facing one of the greatest players of all-time under the bright
lights of tennis's biggest stage, a fearless Djere could not be
rattled piling on the pressure with another break to go up 4-3 in
the second on the way to a 2-0 lead that left Arthur Ashe Stadium
stunned.
Djokovic was not without his opportunities, but did not capitalise
on his chances until backed into a corner.
With the crowd still buzzing Djokovic came out for the third set
with an urgency and energy missing in the opening two sets, breaking
Djere at the first opportunity and again to go up 4-0 on the way to
cutting the deficit to 2-1.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/090223PIX/sports96.jpg)
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows,
New York, United States - September 1, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic
in action during his third round match against Serbia's Laslo Djere
REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
![](../images/ads/current/graue_lda_4_2021.png)
"I did a little pep talk in the mirror," said
Djokovic about his bathroom break after the second set. "I kind of
laughed at myself because I was agitated and annoyed with the
result, I had to kind of force myself to lift myself, to lift the
spirits up."
With cracks in Djere's game starting to appear, Djokovic continued
to dial up the pressure breaking again to open the fourth set
pulling a mighty fist pump from the 36-year-old.
But Djere was not done immediately breaking back, setting the stage
for what was a marathon third game that saw Djokovic regain control
with yet another break.
Moving in for the kill Djokovic swept the next six games to take the
fourth set and a 2-0 lead in the decisive fifth that he would never
surrender.
"Once I got the break in the third I thought 'OK, I have a shot, I
have a chance," said Djokovic. "I might as well go after it."
"I started to play a bit more aggressive, started to read his games
slightly more than I had in the first two sets and it worked well.
"But trust me, it was nerve wracking all the way till the last
shot," he added.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in New York. Editing by Miral Fahmy)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/02/images/ads/current/businessdirectory_dailycover_2023.png) |