Novak Djokovic has not encountered any of the difficulty he did in his earlier match, eliminating qualifier Borna Gojo 6-2 7-5 6-4 to cruise by means of to the US Open quarter-finals.
Djokovic, who has received three of his males’s document 23 grand slam titles at Flushing Meadows, wanted to return again from a two-set deficit within the third spherical earlier than ultimately successful in 5 in opposition to fellow Serbian Laslo Djere.
On Sunday, Djokovic performed much more cleanly and was in management all through. He completed with 12 unforced errors, whereas his Croatian opponent made 40.
“Just glad to get through in straight sets,” mentioned the second-seeded Djokovic, who’s assured of changing Carlos Alcaraz at No.1 within the ATP rankings subsequent week.
Djokovic received 5 of the big-serving Gojo’s 15 service video games whereas solely getting damaged as soon as himself.
Next up for Djokovic can be a match-up in opposition to No.9 seed Taylor Fritz.
The 25-year-old from California arrange the conflict with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-4 win over Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker and is the one participant within the males’s bracket to haven’t dropped a set to date.
“He has improved so much over the years,” Djokovic mentioned.
“The matches are only going to get tougher from now onwards. I’m ready.”
Their assembly on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) can be Djokovic’s thirteenth quarter-final in New York and Fritz’s first.
“I need to play within myself and trust that if I’m playing well, then that’s going to be enough, and I don’t need to do anything extra,” Fritz mentioned.
Djokovic is 7-0 in opposition to Fritz, certainly one of three American males who received fourth-round matches, together with No.10 Frances Tiafoe and the unseeded Ben Shelton.
Shelton overcame one other American, Tommy Paul, 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 on a steamy day in New York.
In a rematch of the pair’s Australian Open quarter-final conflict, Shelton avenged his four-set loss in Melbourne.
Tiafoe ended the US Open run to the final 16 of Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-1 6-4.
It is the primary time a trio of males from the United States have made it to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since 2005, when Andre Agassi, James Blake and Robby Ginepri did it.
“That’s amazing for the (US Tennis Association), for the US Open as well,” Djokovic mentioned.
“All of the guys, Fritz, Shelton and Tiafoe, (use a) big serve, just very aggressive play.”
The winner of Djokovic vs Fritz will tackle the winner of Tiafoe vs Shelton within the semi-finals.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
