Tennis - US Open 2024 - Novak Djokovic : "I haven't served too well in my first two matches"
En quête d'un 25e titre du Grand Chelem après sa médaille d'or aux Jeux Olympiques, Novak Djokovic avait débuté son US Open en patron dans la nuit de lundi à mardi contre le qualifié Radu Albot, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Ce mercredi soir, le Serbe n'a pas plus tremblé contre son compatriote Laslo Djere. Autoritaire, Djoko menait 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 avant de voir son adversaire abandonner, diminué. Une rencontre bien plus simple que l'an passée pour Djokovic, qui était mené 2 sets à 0 l'an passé face à Djere avant de gagner en cinq manches. Nole a ainsi décroché sa 90e victoire à l'US Open, une de plus que Roger Federer, et a désormais atteint la barre des 90 succès dans tous les tournois du Grand Chelem. Il est le premier à le faire. Ahurissant. Au troisième tour, il affrontera Alexei Popyrin.
Vidéo : @USOpen
Vidéo : @USOpen
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00I mean, I haven't been really serving well the first two matches here, so I'm still kind
00:09of trying to find that rhythm and tempo on the serve.
00:17If you don't have a good percentage of first serves in, you have to work for your points,
00:22particularly against a player like Djeric, who is really good from baseline, from both
00:31ends, forehand and backhand, just a very solid player, likes to attack, but he's also comfortable
00:41defending and last year, I remember we had a five setter, and so I knew coming into the
00:46match that if I don't serve well, which was the case, I'm going to have to really grind
00:52and work for my points a lot, and that's what I guess caused the two sets to be played
00:58over two hours in the end, and not the kind of finish that we players or the crowd wants
01:07to see, but I think it's probably due to that physical battle that we had in the opening
01:12two sets.
01:15All in all, I think of course I have to be happy with the win and happy that in the important
01:21moments I managed to play one ball more than him over the net, I guess find the right shots
01:29or anticipate well as I did in the set point in the second set, I was lucky that he missed
01:35that forehand, it was quite an easy forehand, but that's tennis, when you are fighting and
01:42playing long rallies and then the pressure mounts when you have that important point
01:47that you have to play the shots that normally nine out of ten you wouldn't miss, then you
01:50miss, the matches are only going to get tougher from here, I know that, but I'm fine, I'll
02:00find my way as I have done many times in my career.
02:06Alexi in the next round, it will be the third time this year, what are your thoughts on
02:14that, the previous two were four setters?
02:19I'm happy to win four sets another time, don't get me wrong, but he keeps on getting
02:26closer and closer, knocking on that door, he's a really good player, has improved a
02:31lot, he's won his first Masters in Canada, we always knew he has a big serve and forehand
02:40but I think his backhand and his movement improved a lot, so he's much better defending
02:46and he's more consistent, he doesn't make as many errors as he used to, so just overall
02:53great improvement from his side, he's pumped, he's confident and he shows that and he's
03:00been playing some great tennis so no reason for him not to believe that he can put up
03:05a great performance and he's going to go for the win, I know that, but I know what to expect
03:10as well, we played a couple of times and I'm going to of course do my homework, analyse
03:15those matches and see what needs to be done.
03:22There was a fan sitting courtside wearing a World Against Nole shirt, a Djokovic, Messi,
03:29Jordan shirt, I'm curious if you know him, if he's been in other tournaments supporting
03:32you and how that support helps you in difficult moments during the match?
03:37I've seen him around, I don't know him personally but I'm grateful for his support.
03:45It's all I can say, he seems to be coming by himself and always producing some interesting
03:53designs on his shirts, so I signed a couple of his shirts and thanked him for his support.