Djokovic Comes From Behind To Beat Djere In 5 Sets

(CTN News) – Akin to the great Wilson Pickett, Novak Djokovic waited until midnight before unleashing his all-world court coverage and indefatigable will on his friend and countryman at Arthur Ashe Stadium, avoiding one of the biggest upsets in the US Open’s recent history.

He predicted that he would face fellow Serbian and No. 32 seed Laslo Djere, but few could have predicted what unfolded during the three hours, 45 minutes he spent on the court on Friday evening.

In New York, Djokovic needed to overcome a two-set deficit to defeat Djere 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

The first two sets and the last three sets were two different matches, according to Djokovic after the 1:32 a.m. conclusion. “The scoreline does not reflect the true nature of the event.”

As a result of the justice meted out by Djere in the first two sets, Djokovic’s stretching and straining for shots proved futile. In the first game of the match, Djere broke Djokovic and deployed an accurate, hard serve which flummoxed the greatest returner of all time.

His first-serve percentage in the second set was 87%, and he won 18 of 20 first-serve points in the second frame.

‘I have never seen him play like this before,’ Djokovic said of his opponent and good friend. It was evident that he had a good feel for the ball.

It was almost as if everything was within his striking range. A very good tactical preparation had been made by him. The match started off very well for him.

There was a vast difference between him and me in terms of comfort. During the first two sets, I was primarily defending.”

After a 26-shot rally that was trademark Novak, Novak finally got his first break of the match in Djere’s first service game of the third, winning the clinching point with a 26-shot rally that was signature Novak, from his court coverage in returning some shots that would have been winners against most, to his conduct of the crowd after the point ended.

Throughout the rest of the match, everything seemed to be going smoothly for Djokovic, who won 17 of 22 games between the start of the third game and his last service game while up 5-3 in the match.

There was a break point in the final hour of play when Djere had a chance to get back on serve, but Djokovic staved that off and eventually put the match away five points later.

“That’s one of the most challenging matches I’ve played here in many years,” said Djokovic about the match.

SEE ALSO:

Thailand’s Flourishing Football Fan Culture

Who Will Win the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Match on September 2? – Predictions