Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic continues his quest for a 25th Grand Slam singles title after seeing off Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 in three hours at Rod Laver Arena.
“It’s always tricky to play these kinds of opponents, mentally to sustain that level,” he outlined.
“Obviously, you don’t know whether they’re maybe going to fold under the pressure of playing on the center court or they’re going to go the different way,” he added.
“A great test for me. I wish maybe I stayed a set less on the court.”
The Serbian breezed past the 21-year-old, featured in a major main draw for the first time, to take the opening set 6-1.
However, as the second set wore on, the young player raised his level, pushing forward without anything to lose, forcing a second-set tiebreak he earned to even the scoreboard at one set apiece.
Djokovic seemed uncomfortable on the court, struggling to find his rhythm at times; the high humidity levels and a series of unforced errors frustrated the former world number one.
An early mini-break lead saw Faria capitalizing on his big serve, dictating with aggression and precision while becoming a wall on the other side of the net to keep his chances alive.
From there on, the Belgrade native began to build a milestone moment, and saving his best for late, he took the following two sets to claim victory in his 430th Slam match, setting a record for most major singles matches played, surpassing legend Roger Federer.
The 99-time ATP titlist hit 33 winners to 33 unforced errors, converted seven of 12 break points, and won 76 percent of the points on his first serve.
Assessing the challenging contest against the world No. 125, he commented: “I think I responded very well in the third and particularly fourth set, the way I ended the match.
“He was playing lights-out tennis towards the end of the second set and the beginning of the third. I had to weather the storm. He’s been practically serving two first serves the entire match.
“It’s not easy to play someone like that who doesn’t have anything to lose coming out. He’s a big guy, very young… so I told him, at the net, the future is bright for him, he should keep going.”
Next, the 37-year-old will meet 26th seed Tomas Machac, who earlier on Wednesday battled past American Reilly Opelka 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4 after three hours and 25 minutes.
The Czech player and the seventh seed are tied 1-1 in their series; the former prevailed in three sets last year in the Geneva semifinals on the red clay surface.
Meanwhile, Djokovic surged to victory over Machac in Dubai (2023), an event contested on indoor hardcourts.
In 2024, the 24-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season, rising from world No. 78 to finish the year at a career-high of No. 25.
He clinched four Top 10 victories (including Djokovic), reaching two Masters 1000 quarterfinals.
Moreover, he won a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympic Games.
On a further note, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz missed just five games on his way to claim a straightforward 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in only 81 minutes to progress to the third round at the AO.
“The less time you spend on court in the Grand Slams, especially at the beginning of the tournament, it’s going to be better, especially physically,” the Spaniard remarked.
“I’m feeling great. I just tried to be focused and spend as little time as I can [out there].”