Novak Djokovic was cruising together with an enormous early lead in his U.S. Open fourth-round match on Sunday night time when his neck began bothering him. That did not cease Djokovic from dominating 144th-ranked qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to attain his document sixty fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Djokovic made history on the age of 38 to develop into the oldest man to attain the quarter-finals in any respect 4 Grand Slams in a single season.
Djokovic was forward of 4-0, 15-love when he hit a properly angled volley winner to go up 30-love in that recreation. The 24-time Grand Slam champion instantly grabbed behind his neck and began turning his head.
The 38-year-old Djokovic stored making an attempt to stretch his neck or flex his proper shoulder between factors, and he went on to drop that recreation and the next one, too. But he quickly regained the higher hand towards Struff, who beat Frances Tiafoe within the earlier spherical and was making an attempt to get to a serious quarterfinal for the primary time.
After enhancing to 8-0 towards Struff, Djokovic now carries a 10-0 head-to-head document into his quarterfinal on Tuesday towards 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz.
The No. 4-seeded Fritz, the final American man within the bracket, moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory Sunday towards No. 21 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic.
After Djokovic completed off that opening set towards Struff, he was visited by a coach for therapy through the ensuing changeover. Djokovic was given a therapeutic massage to his neck and shoulder.
If he was nonetheless in discomfort, his play wasn’t actually affected in any respect. During the break after that set, Djokovic had his proper forearm massaged. But once more, there have been no indicators of bother when the ball was in play.
Djokovic had trainers work on him earlier within the event, too, together with for blisters on a foot within the first spherical and for a lower-back situation within the third.
He’s gained 4 championships in New York, most just lately in 2023.
