Novak Djokovic overcame a spirited problem from Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria to safe his place within the Australian Open third spherical on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old triumphed 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Enviornment, marking his 430th Grand Slam singles match and surpassing Roger Federer (429) for essentially the most singles matches performed within the Open Period. Serena Williams (423) sits third on the listing.
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“I like this sport, I like competitors,” Djokovic mentioned after the match. “It has been over 20 years that I have been competing in Grand Slams on the highest degree. Whether or not I win or lose, I’ll all the time depart my coronary heart out on the court docket. I am simply blessed to be making one other file.”
Regardless of a simple opening set, Djokovic confronted sudden resistance from the 125th-ranked Faria, who rallied within the second set to drive a tiebreak and win it, leveling the match. The younger qualifier, who secured his maiden Tour-level victory within the first spherical, confirmed flashes of brilliance however struggled to keep up momentum as Djokovic’s expertise and composure got here to the fore.
With rain prompting the stadium roof to shut, Djokovic discovered his rhythm, dominating the third and fourth units to seal the victory. Put up-match, he praised Faria’s efficiency, saying, “He was taking part in lights-out tennis. He is a younger man. I instructed him on the internet that the longer term is brilliant for him.”
Djokovic’s victory units up a third-round conflict with Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac. The Serb is chasing an 11th Australian Open title and an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam crown.
