Djokovic escapes despite losing first two sets at US Open

American Novak Djokovic beat 32nd seed Laslo Djere 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the US Open on September 1.

Against his in-form Serbian compatriot, Djokovic struggled to start the match. He lost his first serve and was constantly dragged into long rallies for the rest of the set. The first four games lasted nearly half an hour. Djere did not lose a single serve, winning the first set in 55 minutes.

The 32nd seed continued his momentum into the second set, where he did not face a break point. Djere served well, moved well and was not outdone by Nole in the long game. The 28-year-old won a return game, thereby winning another set with the score of 6-4.

Djere celebrates winning the first two sets of the match against Djokovic. Photo: AP

After losing the first two sets, Djokovic asked the referee to go to the locker room. When he returned to the court, he was like a "transformed" person, similar to many previous matches that Nole had made comebacks. The power and accuracy of his shots improved significantly, leaving Djere unable to adapt.

At the beginning of the third set, Nole won his first serve game of the match. He did not hide his excitement, waving his arms to call for support from the New York audience. Djokovic's opponent lost his rhythm in the set, losing five games in a row. Despite being down 0-40 in the final game of the set, Nole still won 6-1.

After Djokovic won a set, the next developments did not surprise the fans anymore. He won all the receiving games in the fourth set, and only lost one service game. For the second set in a row, Nole won 6-1.

Djokovic struggles to save the ball in a situation during the match against Djere. Photo: AP

Djere's spirit was low after two quick losses. Physically, the 32nd seed was also weaker than his eight-year-older senior. Nole quickly led 3-0 in the deciding set, then held his service games. In the final game, Nole was under a bit of pressure when the referee reminded him about his serving time, then he was behind 30-40. His courage helped Djokovic save the break-point, then won the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

The match ended at nearly 2 a.m. New York time. For the eighth time in his career, Nole came back from a two-set deficit at a Grand Slam. After the match, he said it was one of the toughest matches at this level in recent years, with his opponent playing every shot.

In the fourth round, Nole will face the phenomenon of the tournament, Borna Gojo - who also has the ability to serve well and hit evenly like Djere. Gojo is only ranked 105th in the world , but has not lost a service game in the first three rounds.

Vy Anh

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