“It’s going to be a battle,” Novak Djokovic on his semifinal clash against Alexander Zverev at US Open 2021


“It’s going to be a battle,” Novak Djokovic on his semifinal clash against Alexander Zverev at US Open 2021

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic registered his 26th consecutive Grandslam victory, as he defeated the Italian, Matteo Berrettini in four sets in the quarterfinals of US Open 2021. Like his prior rounds, the Serbian got off to a slow start, as he went down a set. But he came back storming into the match, winning the next three sets to book a place in the last four.

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Novak Djokovic will now face the fourth seed and reigning Olympic gold-medalist, Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. The German has been in the form of his life in the past two months, winning 17 consecutive matches in lead up to US Open semifinals.

Novak Djokovic stated that he expects a tough semifinal battle, given the great form the German is in at the moment. “He’s in a fantastic form. Of course looking at his results in past few years, he’s played very well here on this court,” said Djokovic.

I know it’s going to be battle, even harder than it was today but I’m ready for it. Look, these are the hurdles that I need to overcome in order to get to the desired destination,” he added.

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Novak Djokovic reveals mindset after dropping the first set

Novak Djokovic has lost the first set of the match on three occasions at US Open 2021. The Serbian reflected on his mentality and stated that when he lost the first set, he forgets about it and attempts to move on.

When I lost the first set I managed to forget about it, move on,” said Djokovic. “In sports we talk about that a lot — being in the zone, very difficult to get here, very easy to go out,” he added.

Novak Djokovic was in firm control of the match from the third set, as he made the Italian work hard for ever point. He asserted his authority early on in the fourth set, where he took a 3-0 lead. The Serbian is chasing his fourth Grandslam title of the year at Flushing Meadows, which will also help him complete his Calendar Slam. Now, he is just two wins away from reaching this spectacular milestone.

Also Read: ‘I played the best three sets of the tournament today,’ Novak Djokovic outplays Matteo Berrettini and reaches his 42nd grand slam semifinal

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