No tennis enthusiast will ever write off Novak Djokovic, no matter the score in a match, after his career, thus far. Regardless of the deficit or a run of poor form, he comes out on top, more often than not. On September 1st, this story saw another chapter added as Djokovic gained victory over Laslo Djere in the US Open’s third round. The first two sets were won by Dejere with scores of 4-6 and 4-6. However, Djokovic then stomped Dejere three sets back-to-back with scores of 6-1, 6-1, and 6-3 to seal the win.
Novak Djokovic Avoids An Early Exit
If Novak Djokovic had lost this match, it would have been the earliest he has exited the tournament since 2006. As such, after the match, Djokovic claimed that the match was extremely tense until the final shot. The match took place at night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. It lasted for three and a half hours when the local time was around 1:30 a.m. Djokovic’s next opponent, in the 4th round, will be Borna Gojo of Croatia.
It was the eighth time Djokovic recovered to a victory after losing a match’s first two sets. At the United States Open, Djokovic had lost 6 times and won only once after starting off on a similar foot. His only win came in the semifinal of 2011 while facing Roger Federer.
After taking control, Djokovic never let go to give space for a Djere recovery. During the gauntlet of the 5th set, Novak Djokovic’s cool demeanor remained unchanged. He went on to collect 12 out of the first 14 points available, more or less sealing the match at that point. The tennis great now has 38 wins and 11 losses when it comes to matches that have lasted for 5 sets and more.