NEW YORK — For the second contest in a row at this US Open, Novak Djokovic appeared a bit sluggish, a bit off, for a stretch. This time, he even dropped the opening set. After which, as at all times at Flushing Meadows, the 24-time Grand Slam champion progressed to the third spherical.
Djokovic improved to 36-0 throughout the primary and second rounds in New York, a spot he is received 4 championships, by coming again to beat 145th-ranked American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday.
“I actually tried to soak it in and benefit from the second, particularly once I received the primary set,” stated Svajda, a 22-year-old from San Diego. “It sort of shocked me. I used to be like, ‘Wow!'”
Taking part in the opening match of the day session at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the primary time since 2014, Djokovic improved to 54-45 in majors after dropping the opening set — essentially the most such wins by any man within the Open period (since 1968).
Requested on court docket afterward how he felt in his first competitors since dropping to eventual champion Jannik Sinner within the Wimbledon semifinals on July 11 whereas hindered by a groin damage, Djokovic replied: “Not that nice, to be sincere.”
Svajda observed.
“He was lacking somewhat bit,” stated Svajda, who acquired cramps in his legs and arms because the match wore on. “He was getting somewhat annoyed.”
At his information convention later, the 38-year-old Djokovic spoke somewhat extra about his temper.
“It is not a motivation factor. It is identical to me a bit annoyed with my sport, after which I sort of undergo stuff internally that — you do not wish to know the small print what I am going via and telling myself,” he defined after attending to the third spherical at a serious for the seventy fifth time, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for essentially the most such appearances by a person.
“I am simply attempting to be locked in. Simply attempting to resolve the riddle as soon as I am on the court docket,” Djokovic continued. “It is not like I am not discovering pleasure on the court docket competing. I get pleasure from competing, however I do not get pleasure from not enjoying effectively. That is why I put additional stress on myself and my crew to be higher the following day, the following match.”
That can come towards Cam Norrie, a British left-hander who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2022, or Francisco Comesana of Argentina.
Whichever man it’s will face the duty that Svajda did Wednesday towards Djokovic.
“He does all the pieces so effectively, which is unimaginable,” Svajda stated. “I used to be speaking to my crew and coaches earlier than, attempting to determine it out. It is Novak Djokovic, so there’s not an enormous weak spot.”
In different males’s singles second-round outcomes, No. 20 Jiri Lehecka defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-4. And Czechia’s Tomas Machac, the No. 21 seed, acquired previous Brazilian 19-year-old sensation Joao Fonseca 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3.
No. 12 Casper Ruud, whose 0-3 file in Grand Slam finals features a loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows in 2022, was eradicated 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 by Raphael Collignon of Belgium.
The 107th-ranked Collignon had by no means received a match at a serious or performed a five-setter till this event.
One other seeded to participant to go down was No. 18 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, crushed by Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
ESPN Analysis and The Related Press contributed to this report.