Google News 'I respect the way Novak Djokovic’s been at the top for...', says ATP ace
by SIMONE BRUGNOLI | VIEW 2692
Novak Djokovic did not shine on his debut at the US Open, but he still won the match and gained access to the second round of the New York Grand Slam. The Serbian champion played an excellent first set, but in the second set he allowed the young Holger Rune to get back into the game by committing a high number of free mistakes.
Not working perfectly was the first serve, which most betrayed Djokovic during the match. “I got off to a great start and played a very good first set. After, I don't know, I was 4-3 and serve in the second. Everything was working fine.
Then I lost the first serve and hit a very low percentage of first balls,” acknowledged Djokovic himself. A key factor in this tournament will certainly be the management of emotions. The Belgrade has in fact all the spotlight on him, because in New York he could complete the Grand Slam and overtake Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the number of Majors won.
Griekspoor opens up on Novak Djokovic
Tallon Griekspoor will face Novak Djokovic in the second round of the 2021 US Open on Thursday. The Dutchman registered his maiden main-draw win at a Slam by beating Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.
"That’s really crazy. It’s going to be really, really tough. That is probably the biggest challenge in tennis at the moment, playing Novak on a hardcourt," Griekspoor told ATPTour.com. "But on the other hand, it’s probably going to be on Ashe, which is the biggest tennis stadium in the world.
This is why you practise as a kid. This is what you dream of. It’s going to be really tough, but I’m going to enjoy it a lot." The Dutchman also pointed out that Djokovic has been consistently brilliant for a very long time now.
"[I respect] the way he’s been at the top for so long. Rafa and Roger were there and he just came and basically destroyed every record in the book," Griekspoor said. "The guy has been so solid through the years, he has been so good for so long.
He’s just a legend of the game. It’s going to be very tough, but very exciting as well." There has never been any certainty about the New York weather conditions. What started as a h*t and humid Us Open 2021 in Flushing Meadows has now been engulfed in heavy rains over the past two days. As a result, not all singles matchups got completed on Wednesday, 1st September 2021.