exist Novak Djokovic There is nothing that can be easily seen in New York in the early round of his final Grand Slam of the year. But under the bright lights on Friday night, Djokovic blocked the impressive Cameron Norrie, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3, with the best performance in his game so far.
The victory left Djokovic, 38, the oldest man to reach the last 16th of the United States in 34 years – since Jimmy Connors in 1991. He also put the biggest Grand Slam fourth round in history with 69 appearances. “This kind of game and performance always makes me wish I could go further and challenge the best players in the world,” Djokovic said.
Norrie faces incredible challenges when she first appeared inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic may be vulnerable in New York given his six-week absence on the Tour and some mild form in his early game, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion proved a nightmare for Norrie in his career. Djokovic won each of the first six meetings, losing only two sets.
For a while, Djokovic seemed to be strolling in effortlessly early victory, breaking in and moving towards a match that secured the opening, but the Serb began to struggle in his sport, and he repeatedly stretched out his lower back. He quickly called the trainer and gained medical time at the racing stadium by 5-4.
“To be honest, it’s really going up and down,” Djokovic said. “To be honest, it’s frustrating for me, and I can’t be 100% like I’ve been in over 20 years. But I think the situation is completely different, and I have to get used to the fact that every game can happen because this year is almost every major.”
Even though he returned to the suit and continued his excellent early form, Djokovic didn’t look happy. His numerous pauses eventually led Norrie to talk to the referee about the time between him. “I don’t think it’s a strategy, but I want to see the referees more confident. There’s nothing changed in the game,” Norry said.
“It’s only three or four times, I had to wait for him on the serve, partly because maybe he’s a little stretched…but it’s not about Novak. I’m just asking the referee what the rules are every time I have to wait for him. No, that’s not true.”
Through these disturbances, Norrie worked hard to put the SERB under pressure. He played much more offensive tennis than usual, and because of his courage, he kicked his best tennis against Djokovic, forcing him to break the game and perform well under pressure. Norrie’s forehand is often inadequate to the best players in the middle of the game.
Djokovic responded well in the face of the real challenge. His service was supreme in the final set, ending with 18 A, and he suffocated Norri’s game with ruthless depth when deciding on the game. It was a high-quality game between the two players, allowing Djokovic to enter the second week, hoping that he could find his own rhythm and form.
Meanwhile, Norrie left New York and he continued to perform well this summer as he tried to rebuild his best player in the world.
“I think in the past or when I’m at these top players like Novak, I feel like it’s like another level, against them, I’m always going to be straight after these games, obviously you’re going to get a lot of reps.”
“To fight against these top characters and see what they can come up with and point out, it’s definitely a different level. So I can also be sure to have confidence in that.”
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
