Novak Djokovic required three-and-a-half hours to book a place in the third round of the Australian Open after battling to a four-set win over Frances Tiafoe.
The world No.1 was pushed to his limits throughout his 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 6-3, win in what was only his second Tour match of the season. Tiafoe’s inspired play was reminiscent of his run to the quarter-finals of the tournament back in 2019 but still it wasn’t enough to prevent Djokovic from grabbing the victory. Overall he hit 26 aces and 56 winners but could only convert five out of his 14 break point opportunities.
“It was a very tough match with very difficult conditions. We had sun on the court and it was very warm. There were a lot of rallies,” said Djokovic.
“I want to give a hand to Frances for a great fight. It was a fantastic match on his part.”
The cat and mouse chase between the two started during the opener as they exchanged breaks of serve before the eight-time champion broke once again for a 5-3 lead. Allowing the Serbian to close out the first set with relative ease after hitting a clean backhand winner.
Unlike his one-sided first round win over Jeremy Chardy, Djokovic was unable to continue to dictate the proceedings due to some fiery play coming from across the court. Tiafoe utilized the crowd to his advantage as he matched the top seed game-by-game in the second frame. Then in the tiebreaker a four-point streak in Tiafoe’s favour saw him level the match.
Djokovic continued to be troubled by the American who has only ever beaten a top 10 opponent three times in 23 attempts prior to this week. He looked to be gaining momentum in the third set after racing to a 3-0 lead before Tiafoe clawed his way back once again. Then to add to Djokovic’s frustration he failed to convert two set points against the Tiafoe serve whilst leading 5-4. Nevertheless, he scored his breakthrough in the second tiebreak thanks to two costly unforced errors from his rival which help guide him to a 6-2 lead. Enabling Djokovic to go on and closed the third set out with a forehand winner.
Nearing the finish line there was still a lot of work to do for the 17-time Grand Slam champion on the Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic broke once more midway through the fourth set as Tiafoe started to get irate. At 3-3, 30-30, the American got a time violation which he disputed with the umpire before losing the following two points to hand Djokovic the break.
“Why are you disturbing the match? It’s an unreal match! Why are you disturbing the match? It’s bullshit! The point’s massive and I’m going for the fucking towel!” Tiafoe fumed.
After that minor incident Djokovic finally took control as he closed the match out with a three-game winning run. In what was a high-quality encounter the clash ended in anticlimactic fashion with Tiafoe producing a double fault.
“If I had to choose I would like to have these kinds of matches in the opening week (of a Grand Slam) but they are only going to get tougher with higher seeds and opponents,” Djokovic commented on his latest performance.
“It is not the first time I have been in this kind of situation. I know how to handle these circumstances but at the same time I was very fortunate to get through the third set. Frances played great.”
The 33-year-old has now won 77 main draw matches at the Australian Open since his 2205 debut. He has won the title more times than any other male player in history but admits there is something different about this year’s tournament.
“There are various things that affect my positive performance at the Rod Laver Arena. I guess when you win a lot on a certain court over the years you feel more comfortable and confident. This court feels like my living room, I feel very comfortable,” he said.
“The surface has also changed and I think the speed of the court (this year) is the quickest I have ever played on in the past 15 years. You need a big serve.”
