Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has advanced early Thursday morning to the third round of the US Open, the fourth Grand Slam of the season to be played on hard court, after his compatriot Laslo Djere withdrew due to physical problems, in the third set of the match with a result in Nole’s favour of 6-4, 6-4 and 2-0.
Djokovic continues to make a strong move in defending his US Open title won last year and is now in the third round after defeating Serbian Djere, number 109 in the world. The recently proclaimed Olympic champion was superior in the match and was two sets up when his rival decided to withdraw from the match due to physical problems in the abdominal area.
The world number two had started the first set very solidly, although Djere’s high level of play meant that the resolution of the set had to wait until the tenth game of the set, where Djokovic would get the only break of the set, to make it 6-4. A start to the match in which Nole’s biggest problem was his serve, with which he suffered, having to save up to three break points.
The start of the second set brought with it the best tennis from Djere and the most erratic Novak Djokovic. A fact that Djere took advantage of to break the Belgrade player’s serve in the third game of the record and take the lead on the scoreboard for the first time in the match. However, the four-time US Open winner was able to turn the set around with four consecutive games against a Djere hampered by physical problems, and who required the presence of the physiotherapist, in what would be the prelude to his retirement from the match.
The third set was barely played, as with the score at 2-0 in Djokovic’s favour, Djere decided to end his participation in the US Open after two hours and twelve minutes of play, and retired suffering from abdominal muscle problems. Djokovic thus advances to the third round, where he will face Australian Alexei Popyrin, the 28th seed in the tournament.
