Djokovic Overcomes Svajda to Advance at US Open as He Targets 25th Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic showed his fighting spirit once again at the US Open as he defeated American qualifier Zachary Svajda in four sets on Wednesday, keeping alive his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
The Serbian star, who is 38 years old, had a slow start and dropped the opening set, but he fought back strongly to claim a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory. The win secured Djokovic a place in the third round of the tournament for the 19th time, equalling the record.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic admitted he was not pleased with his early performance. “I wasn’t really happy about my tennis for the first part of the match, but Zach played some really high-quality tennis,” he said. He also acknowledged that his body feels the effects of matches more now than in previous years but remains confident he can build momentum as the tournament progresses. “The deeper I go, the better I usually feel about my game,” he added.
Djokovic, who has won the US Open four times, struggled at the start against the 22-year-old Svajda, who is ranked 145th in the world and had only two previous wins in Grand Slam main draws. Svajda took the first set in a tense tie-break after landing a powerful backhand down the line that Djokovic failed to return.
The seventh seed, however, quickly regrouped. He broke Svajda’s serve midway through the second set and controlled the rallies under the bright sunshine at Arthur Ashe Stadium. By the third set, Djokovic had found his rhythm. Even though he dropped serve early and trailed 3-1, he stormed back by winning five games in a row to take the set.
Svajda, who required treatment for both legs, could not maintain his early intensity, and Djokovic took full advantage. The Serbian veteran dominated the fourth set, winning 11 of the last 12 games to seal the victory.
With this win, Djokovic not only equalled the record of 191 hard-court victories at Grand Slams but also set a new milestone by reaching the last 32 at a major tournament for the 75th time, surpassing the record he previously shared with Roger Federer.
Djokovic will next face either Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Argentina’s Francisco Comesana as he continues his quest for a historic 25th Grand Slam title in New York.
