Djokovic escapes despite losing first two sets at US Open

American Novak Djokovic defeated 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 Serbian compatriot in good form, 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 game, winning the first set in 55 minutes.

The 32nd seed continued his excitement in the second set, where he did not face a single break point. Djere served well, moved well and was not inferior to Nole in the long ball. The 28-year-old won a return game, thereby winning another set with a 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 where Nole had come back from behind. His power and accuracy in 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 service game of the set, Nole still won 6-1.

After Djokovic won a set, the next developments no longer surprised fans. 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 firmly. In the final game, Nole was under some pressure when the referee reminded him about his service 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 two sets down 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 has the same good serving ability and consistent hitting as 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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