Washington: Novak Djokovic beats Tallon Griekspoor to reach third round of US Open. The top-seeded Djokovic won 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in 99 minutes.
I came out on court with the right intensity and the right focus, says Djokovic during his on-court interview with Patrick McEnroe. ‘It was definitely a better performaance from my side than a couple of nights ago. Again, great atmosphere. It’s always fun playing in front of New York fans in the night session. You guys bring a lot of energy to us and I think we’ve said this before but we can’t take these moments for granted. The last 15 months have been very difficult for everyone on this planet. For us in tennis, we haven’t had too many tournaments where we’ve played in front of a crowd, so it’s nice to have you back.’
He continues: ‘It’s a great feeling being on the court. I’m as motivated as ever to do well. I’m not the only player who wants to go deep in the tournament. Hopefully, (I’ll) get my hands on the trophy. That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to be the best I can be every single day. Let’s see what happpens.’
Asked whether the chase for the calendar-year grand slam is more taxing physically or mentally, Djokovic tips the latter.
‘Probabaly it’s more mental and emotional, really,’ he says. ‘Physically, I feel great. I can go a couple of hours every day. I don’t mind being on the court for a long time. Actually the longer the match goes, I feel I have more chances to win against anybody in best of five. So it’s really more about handling everything that is happening off the court, all the expectations. But as I’ve said, (it’s) trying to take it moment by moment, really stay in the present moment, and get the most out of it.’
Alexander Zverev thrashed Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in a brisk 74 minutes on Thursday, conserving his energy as he rolled through to the U.S. Open third round.
After an opening match nailbiter, Angelique Kerber sailed drama free into the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, brushing past Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 6-2 to set up a rematch of former champions.
Kerber had appeared headed for an early Flushing Meadows exit until coming back from a set down to see off Dayana Yastremska 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).