Alexei Popyrin is on the verge of causing a second major upset at the US Open in as many nights after taking a two-set lead over defending champion Novak Djokovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night.
Bringing the same powerful game that earned him his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal earlier this month, the Australian dominated Djokovic with his aggressive serve and fearless baseline play, securing a 6-4, 6-4 advantage.
However, Djokovic responded strongly in the third set, winning it 6-2 after converting all three of his breakpoint opportunities.
Just 24 hours earlier, third seed and 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated in straight sets by Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Djokovic, who has rallied from two sets down to win eight times in his career—including in the same round at last year’s US Open—began to fight back. He is chasing his 25th major title, playing in his first tournament since winning gold at the Paris Olympics. The 37-year-old won three Grand Slam titles last year and reached all four finals, a feat he has consistently achieved except in 2017 when he failed to win a Grand Slam.
No comments:
Post a Comment