Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 24th Grand Slam title is gaining momentum after he booked his place in the third round of the US Open on Tuesday.
The second seed eased his way to a 6-4,6-1,6-1, win over Spanish world No.76 Bernabe Zapata Miralles who has only won one Tour-level match on a hardcourt this year. Djokovic’s latest tally featured 34 winners against 22 unforced errors as he broke his opponent six times. Since the start of 2009, the Serbian has advanced to the third round in 54 of 55 Grand Slam tournaments played with his only loss being to Denis Istomin in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open.
“It has been a tough match, especially in the first set with the conditions. On the hardcourt, you feel it more. I guess that is because the heat is absorbed in the surface. But it is the same for both players and you have to accept it.” Djokovic said during his on-court interview.
“I didn’t start the match very well but in the second and third set, I was a couple of levels higher. I am very pleased with the way I ended the match.”
Djokovic, who was playing in his 96th US Open main draw match, required a couple of points to get his serve going and was forced to save a duo of break points in his opening service game. Overcoming the early blip, he scored his first breakthrough in the fifth game after a backhand unforced error from his opponent granted him his first break of the match. Zapata Miralles did produce glimmers of some impressive tennis but they were not enough to trouble the Serbian who sealed the opener in just under 50 minutes.
Rapidly gaining momentum on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Djokovic raced through the second set where he won 28 out of the 42 points contested. A six-game winning streak saw him break a lackluster Zapata Miralles three consecutive times.
Closing in on the victory, Djokovic continued to be tested behind his serve as he fended off a quartet of break points during his first two service games of the third set. Nevertheless, he had all the answers to the questions asked of him as he continued to tame his opponent en route to what was a mainly one-sided victory.
“It is a bit different than it was 10 years ago. My body is responding slightly differently nowadays,” Djokovic replied when asked how playing at night compared with playing in the daytime. “But the good thing with Grand Slams is that we have a day between matches. Plenty of time to recuperate, and work on certain things in your game. I feel that I can play better.”
As a result of his opening win on Monday, Djokovic has already guaranteed a return to world No.1 when the tournament ends. In New York, he is bidding to become only the second player in history to win a 24th major title after Margaret Court and the first to win all of them during the Open Era.
“At 36 years of age and after 20 years of coming to New York I still have the hunger and desire to play my best tennis on this court,” he stated.
Awaiting the former champion in the last 32 will be compatriot Laslo Djere who was in impressive form during his 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, win over Hugo Gaston. Djere has contested one ATP final so far this season which was at the Hamburg Open where he was denied the title by Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic’s win-loss record at the US Open now stands at 83-13.
