In his best match of the tournament, Novak Djokovic defeated Tomás Martín Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2) at Melbourne Park to go to the fourth round. Djokovic was relieved, believing his game was improving.
“It was an incredible match,” Djokovic remarked. “I tried my hardest in the competition. I played well throughout the match, especially in the first two sets. The third set showed his tennis improvement. We were even after the tiebreak, and I think I won in straight sets with the right strokes.
Novak Djokovic left for Melbourne in the opening week of the season, citing wrist issues. In the first two rounds, he struggled. He was uncomfortable when Dino Prizmic and Alexei Popyrin gave him a set to answer to.
Popyrin defeated a slow Djokovic in the second round, two sets to one. The top seed admitted he was improving despite not playing at his best.
Read More
The world’s best player expressed relief and delight after his performance tonight. Better setup than the first two games. I was sick physically and mentally before the competition.
That everything is connected is obvious. Despite my poor tennis, I’m in the fourth round. I think things will improve if the competition continues. That’s always been and will be tonight. Hopefully, things will improve daily.
The dramatic US Open semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton, which contained the 20th seed, will never be repeated. Adrian Mannarino defeated the 16th seed 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 after almost five hours.
Mannarino, 35, has reached the fourth round for the second time after winning three straight five-set sets. After reaching the top 20, the Frenchman is having the time of his life. Most athletes his age are ageing. His current best rating is 19.
Mannarino’s play is distinctive. Excellent groundstroke swing compactness lets him adjust direction and tempo quickly. Shelton sought to overwhelm Mannarino with 141-mph serves, but Mannarino was adept at returning the initial blows. Mannarino shrugged and stated, “I started tequila.” when asked how he achieved his goals in his later years. He’ll play Djokovic.
Jannik Sinner continues his amazing work. The 26th-seeded Argentine, Sebastián Báez, lost to the Italians 6-0, 6-1, 6-3.
“I felt the ball great,” he remarked. After some problems in the first game, I made the proper judgements and took advantage of today’s opportunity. It’s nice to feel this again. Every court appearance excites me. I’m doing my job. I try hard to concentrate. I attempt to outwit every player.
Share this content:
