In his second consecutive encounter at the US Open, Novak Djokovic showed some signs of difficulty. On this occasion, he even conceded the first set. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, once again, advanced to the third round at Flushing Meadows.Djokovic, who holds four championships in this tournament, improved his record to 36-0 in the first and second rounds in New York. The tennis player managed to come back to defeat American Zachary Svajda, ranked 145th, with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Svajda, 22, from San Diego, expressed his surprise after winning the first set. Djokovic, playing the first match of the day session at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time since 2014, improved his record to 54-45 in Grand Slam matches after losing the first set, the most such wins in the Open era (since 1968).When asked about his physical condition in his first competition after losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals on July 11, due to a groin injury, Djokovic replied: “Not very well, to be honest.”Svajda noticed these difficulties. “He was failing a bit. He was getting a bit frustrated,” commented Svajda, who suffered cramps in his legs and arms as the match progressed.In his subsequent press conference, 38-year-old Djokovic elaborated on his state of mind. “It’s not a question of motivation. It’s more of a frustration with my game, and I go through things internally that… you wouldn’t want to know the details of what I tell myself,” he explained, after reaching the third round in a major tournament for the 75th time, surpassing Roger Federer for the most appearances of this kind.I really tried to enjoy the moment, especially when I won the first set.
Zachary Svajda
The next challenge for Djokovic will be against Cam Norrie, a British left-hander who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022. Norrie, who has yet to beat Djokovic in six encounters, will face the same task as Svajda on Wednesday.”He does everything very well, which is incredible,” Svajda said. “I was talking to my team and my coaches before, trying to understand it. It’s Novak Djokovic, so there’s not a big weakness.”In other results from the men’s second round, No. 20 seed Jiri Lehecka defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry with a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-4. Tomas Machac, No. 21 seed, overcame the young Brazilian Joao Fonseca, 19, with a result of 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3.The number 12 seed, Casper Ruud, whose 0-3 record in Grand Slam finals includes a loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows in 2022, was eliminated by Raphael Collignon of Belgium, with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.Collignon, ranked 107th, had never won a match in a major tournament nor played a five-set match before this tournament.I’m just trying to focus. I’m trying to solve the riddle once I’m on the court. It’s not that I don’t find joy in competing on the court. I enjoy competing, but I don’t enjoy not playing well. That’s why I demand more of myself and my team to be better the next day, in the next match.
Novak Djokovic
Other seeded players who fell were Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (number 18), defeated in five sets by Arthur Rinderknech, and Jakub Mensik (number 16), who was eliminated by Ugo Blanchet 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7), falling to 1-6 in five-set matches in major tournaments.
