For the first time this year at the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic inched closer to looking more like himself in his third-round match.
Having not played a competitive singles match since Wimbledon and winning two subpar matches to kick off the year’s final Grand Slam, it was enough to bring him to a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3 win over Cameron Norrie on Friday night in nearly three hours.
However, there were still crucial hiccups from the 24-time Grand Slam winner that could have thrown off the match against a stronger opponent.
“My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can get some more minutes spent on match play,” Djokovic told the ESPN broadcast after the win. “It’s good that I get tested. I haven’t had any matches since Wimbledon … still trying to find my groove.
“I think this is the best I’ve played so far in the tournament.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
