(New York-Flushing Meadows) - Second-seeded Novak Djokovic launches title defense at the US Open with a straightforward victory, his 89th match win in New York, over qualifier Radu Albot on Monday, setting up a second-round meeting with compatriot Laslo Djere at Flushing Meadows.
Four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic launched his title defense campaign in Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 triumph against Moldova player Radu Albot in barely over two hours on Monday night.
Next, the Paris Olympics gold medalist will face off against compatriot Laslo Djere, who last year made the second seed work hard for the win across five thrilling sets at the major.
During his post-match press interview, the 24-time Grand Slam winner commented: “I remember very well our match. It was a very tough match. I’m going to try to analyze that and hopefully do some things even better than I did last year.”
This season, Djere, currently ranked at No. 109, has been struggling with an elbow injury that required surgery last May, starting his recovery process soon after.
However, the 29-year-old opened strong against German Jan-Lennard Struff, rallying through five sets to capture the win after a monumental three-hour, 53-minute clash.
In that regard, the former world number one said they met in the locker room, congratulating one another.
He further stressed: “I think he also loves the conditions here. It’s a bit quicker. [The] ball stays low. He has a very flat backhand, a very good serve, and a great return. He’s physically as fit as anybody.”
Djokovic emerged victorious from their two matches to date at tour level.
About Last Night
The 37-year-old from Belgrade successfully transitioned to the hard court surface, having just practiced on the courts before opening proceedings at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Assessing his performance after the encounter, Djokovic stated: “I think it was a solid start. Look, I struggled with my serve and the rhythm of certain shots. Overall, from the back of the court, I thought I played pretty well.”
The world number two won 74 percent of points on his first serve, hitting 23 winners to 40 unforced errors, converting 6 of 16 break point opportunities.
Overall, the 99-time ATP titlist looks confident in his bid to claim a record 25th singles Slam, continuing to write tennis history.
“It’s always challenging to start, particularly when you haven’t played on this surface for five, six months and coming off an Olympic gold and playing on clay. I haven’t had any official matches before the US Open,” he stated. “I’m expecting to be probably challenged a little bit more in the opening rounds. Hopefully, I can play better each day.”
