US Open: Novak Djokovic sets new record to reach quarterfinals

The 24-time Grand Slam champion sets different caller people arsenic the oldest antheral subordinate to scope the quarters astatine each 4 majors.

Novak Djokovic made Grand Slam past astatine the property of 38 with a commanding 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 triumph implicit Jan-Lennard Struff, but the triumph came astatine a outgo – his quarterfinal lucifer fell connected his daughter’s birthday.

“Yeah, she was not precise blessed astir it, maine being absent from the day party. Don’t punctual maine of that, please,” said Djokovic connected Sunday, who became the oldest antheral to scope each 4 Grand Slam quarterfinals successful a azygous season.

The triumph besides moved Djokovic into his 64th Grand Slam quarterfinal, extending his record, portion keeping live his pursuit of a grounds 25th large title.

But the Serbian’s caput was intelligibly connected household matters arsenic helium spoke astir the sacrifice required astatine this signifier of his career.

“I’ll effort to triumph if I’m here. At slightest I’m going to effort to triumph and springiness her that benignant of present,” Djokovic said.

“I’m going to nonstop immoderate bully presents, arsenic well, bully surprises for her day party.”

Djokovic successful enactment during his fourth-round lucifer against Struff [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

Djokovic dominates

The lucifer itself was a masterclass successful acquisition implicit powerfulness during the 109-minute brushwood astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Djokovic asserted power of the fourth-round lucifer from the opening game, breaking the 35-year-old German’s service six times. His ain service proved decisive against a subordinate who entered the lucifer with the tournament’s second-highest ace number astatine 66.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion fired 12 aces portion winning 79 percent of first-serve points and wholly neutralised Struff’s biggest weapon.

“It decidedly helps if you service well. I deliberation I had a large serving show successful the past circular and besides tonight,” Djokovic said.

“I conscionable saw the stats, I outserved 1 of the guys that had the astir aces during the tourney this year, truthful that’s a large stat. Obviously, that helps marque my beingness easier connected the court.”

Struff, ranked 144th successful the world, had defeated 2 seeded players – Holger Rune (11th) and Frances Tiafoe (17th) – to scope his archetypal US Open 4th circular but was incapable to enactment immoderate superior unit connected the seventh seed.

The German managed lone 19 winners and committed 32 unforced errors.

Their combined property of 73 years and 60 days made this the oldest US Open men’s singles lucifer successful the 4th circular oregon aboriginal during the nonrecreational era.

Djokovic, who present has a 36-0 grounds against qualifiers astatine Grand Slams, required attraction from the physio connected his close enarthrosis and forearm during the lucifer but did not look overly troubled by the issues.

While helium is heading towards a imaginable semifinal against satellite fig 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic said helium was not looking beyond his quarterfinal opponent, Taylor Fritz, who was the 2024 US Open runner-up.

“For me, past mates of years, I learned 1 thing: close now, is to instrumentality truly 1 lucifer astatine a time,” helium added.

Djokovic, right, and Struff shingle hands aft their fourth-round lucifer [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]