NEW YORK (AP) — For a 1 1/2 set, which includes a particularly compelling & competitive 24-point game, Novak Djokovic's fourth-round opponent at the US Open — Jenson Brooksby, the last American survivor in singles — defeated him. The atmosphere of chaos in Arthur Ashe Stadium fit between one
To this Djokovic, above all, & everyone else, knows that Brooksby – a 20-year-old wild-card entry from California, ranked 99th & never before on such a podium – was related. And then, not surprisingly, Djokovic showed why he is that & how he managed to lead within three victories of the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men's tennis in 52 years.
Sending a message to fans with a roar & a few stardowns to Brooksby, No. 1-ranked Djokovic improved to a massive 25-0 win this year, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-. Monday Night 2. He furthered his quest for a true Grand Slam & a record-breaking 21st major championship, while marking the first time in the history of the US Open, an event that dates back to the 1880s, in which the host nation There are zero men or women. In the quarter finals.
"It was a good finish. It was not a good tirade," said Djokovic, who hopes to add a fourth US Open title to a collection, which will be won by his ninth at the Australian Open in February, his second at the French Open in June & another in July. Extended from sixth at Wimbledon.
He next meets Italy's No. 6 Matteo Berrettini in a rematch of the final at the All England Club.
One key to Monday's turnaround: Djokovic broke in each of the last three sets in Brooksby's opening service game.
"I wanted to let him down, & it worked," Djokovic said.
After the second set & after the third, Brooksby was again visited by a coach, affected by a left hip that troubled him earlier in the tournament. Still, for someone who didn't set foot on Ash's blue court until nearly two hours before the match, when he got the chance to practice there, Brooksby was never overwhelmed by the setting or the conditions.
"We're going to see a lot of him in the future," said Djokovic, the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four Slam trophies in one year. "I mean, he has the means. Now obviously a lot of things have to be put together. But he has an unconventional game. Does a lot with emotion. He's smart. He knows how to win points. go."
Brooksby's 6-foot-4 stride & reach, his anticipation, his variety including a well-disguised two-handed backhand piece, his think-step-forward point construction, patterns drawn by his coach at home in Sacramento his commitment to Everyone left Djokovic early - Joe Gilbert at age 7.
"I knew it was going to be important to start strong, impose my mindset & my strategy, my game," said Brooksby. "I could see it working. I really had a lot of confidence in myself that I could beat him, I could beat anyone.
In the first set, Brooksby made an unforced error, Djokovic 11. And Brooksby won 14 points lasting five strokes or more, Djokovic four.
When Djokovic netted an overhead net to move Brooksby two points off the set, most spectators in the 23,000-plus capacity area - excited to be back after last year's ban on spectators amid the pandemic - rose, clapped. And scream.
When Djokovic missed to return to set his enemy, Brooksby waved both hands & heard more loud support.
"Electric. Awesome. I had a lot of fun. I really did," said Djokovic, who will soon hear his own cheer. "You guys gave a lot of energy to both players."
He broke through to go 2-0 up in the second set & screamed with a punch in the air. An epic game ensued at 3-1: six break chances, good deuce, 24 points in total, spread over about 20 minutes. Djokovic pushed the ball into the net to end the game & made it 3-2, causing Brooksby to jump in & wind down his hand, crying out, "Let's go!"
And then, as quickly as possible, Djokovic regrouped. With Brooksby gasping for air, Djokovic broke right back &, soon enough, the result was clear.
"The pace has changed," said Djokovic, 34, from Serbia.
Other quarter-finalists in the men's side: No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany vs. Lloyd Harris of South Africa, No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassim of Canada vs. 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain & No. 2 Daniil Medevev of Russia vs. qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands .
Women's round-of-eight matchup: No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus vs. No. 8 Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic, No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine vs. 19-year-old Leyla Fernandez of Canada, No. 11 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland vs. 18-year-old qualifier of Britain Emma Radukanu & No. 4 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic against 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada or No. 17 Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Brooksby's exit - certainly no shame in losing to Djokovic - followed a fourth-round departure on Monday as No. 22 seed Reilly Opelka pulled off the men's 6-7(6), 6-4, 6- Departed with 1. A 6–3 loss to Harris, & a 6–2, 6–1 loss to Radukanu in the women's draw by unseeded Shelby Rogers.
Rogers upset Ash Barty, a two-time major champion who is No. 1 in the third round, but was unable to produce the same level of tennis, which he termed a "quite embarrassing" performance on Monday.
The bracket began with 43 Americans in singles fields.
"We've got a great group of people there," Opelka said. "We don't have world-winners."