The early round of the US Open continued with a quarter-final match on Monday afternoon. The match saw the ageless Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continue his strong run on the third day of the tournament against fellow qualifier Jenson Brooksby. The 7-time Grand Slam champion had been on a roll since starting his campaign against David Ferrer on day one, and the 31-year-old had defeated the American in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic cruised past American qualifier Jenson Brooksby 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in under an hour to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open. The Serb will play the winner of the match between Frenchman Gael Monfils and Austrian Dominic Thiem on Tuesday. Djokovic was in control throughout the match, taking just over half an hour to wrap up his victory. His first service game lasted just 12 minutes, during which the world number one hit 13 aces. The first set was never really in doubt either, with Djokovic running out comfortable 6-1 winner. He’s got a way to go to catch Rafael Nadal, who is two sets to one
Novak Djokovic is still the man to beat at the US Open, as the five-time Grand Slam champion went a long way to quashing a growing sense of optimism that the Serb might be beginning to fade. The Djoker, as he is known, cruised into the quarter-finals without dropping a set, however the 25-year-old will now have to step up another gear against a tricky opponent in Jenson Brooksby, the US Open’s youngest ever player, who knocked out Juan Martin Del Potro in five sets.
Novak Djokovic faced up against Jenson Brooksby in several grueling rallies.
| Dates: 30 August-12 September Location: Flushing Meadows, New York |
| Daily audio commentary on the Radio 5 Live Sports Extra/ Sport website and app, as well as selected live written comments and match recaps on the website and app. |
Novak Djokovic had to battle his way into the quarter-finals of the US Open, defeating American wildcard Jenson Brooksby and keeping his calendar Grand Slam ambitions alive.
The world number one recovered from a shaky opening set to win a tense match 1-6 6-3 6-2 6-2.
Brooksby, who had the full support of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, pushed him all the way.
For a spot in the semi-finals, Djokovic will play Matteo Berrettini.
Djokovic is three victories away from becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles.
He found himself in a fantastic battle with world number 99 Brooksby, with momentum shifting back and forth over the course of two hours and 58 minutes.
The two players were embroiled in punishing rallies, with the audience often rising from their seats to cheer their court coverage and strokes.
At the net, they had a friendly handshake, with Djokovic giving some words of encouragement to the 20-year-old.
“He just played a flawless first set and is very intelligent. I wasn’t able to accomplish anything, “According to Djokovic.
“I had a great time with it. You [the audience] provided both players incredible enthusiasm to demonstrate what we’re capable of.”
Brooksby may regret the opportunities he squandered – he converted just three of 11 break points – but Djokovic’s endurance and stamina were on display in nearly every set.
Djokovic has yet to deliver a truly polished performance in New York, despite defeating Italy’s Berrettini in the Wimbledon final in July.
In all but one of his matches, he has lost a set, and he got off to a poor start in the opening, making 11 unforced mistakes to Brooksby’s one.
For most of the match, Brooksby matched Djokovic run for run, staying with him in long exchanges and making his opponent seem uncomfortable.
The tenacity was highlighted by a 20-minute game on Djokovic’s serve, which included 24 points, nine deuces, and six break chances, with Brooksby finally converting on a backhand mistake from the Serb.
Brooksby gave it his all, but he just ran out of energy before Djokovic, the greatest athlete on the men’s circuit.
With both players taking medicine during the break, he dropped the break of service almost immediately, and Djokovic finished off the set.
Brooksby was also treated for a thigh injury and was gasping for air between games as he attempted to keep up with Djokovic, who appeared to finally adapt to his game in the last two sets.
Djokovic made 41 unforced mistakes throughout the match, something he knows he’ll have to reduce before playing Berrettini.
Earlier in the tournament, the sixth seed beat German qualifier Oscar Otte 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2.
Despite losing service once in the third set, Berrettini, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2019, seemed at ease throughout.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who defeated Jannik Sinner, joins him in the quarter-finals.
Last year’s finalist, Dominic Thiem, was defeated by Sinner of Italy 6-4 6-4 7-6. (9-7).
After defeating Reilly Opelka in four sets, he will play Lloyd Harris for a semi-final berth.
Zverev has won 15 consecutive matches, including the Cincinnati Open in the build-up to the US Open and Olympic gold in Tokyo.
Related Tags
- french open semi finals 2021
- french open final
- djokovic tsitsipas
