05. 09. 2009. ·
Fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to beat world no.276 American qualifier Jesse Witten in four sets 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-4 in 3 hours and 28 minutes on Louis Armstrong on Saturday.
Djokovic held his opening service game, but got broken in the third, after he made two double faults. Novak immediately broke back when Witten hit a volley wide and a forehand long. The Serb made another break in the sixth game, and then faced scare in the next, but held to increase his lead to 5-2. Witten started playing much better from that moment. Djokovic was serving for the set at 5-3, but the American put the pressure, broke his service and then held to level the result to
5-5. The 22-year old from Belgrade got broken for the third time in the eleventh game, but managed to win the next, and the set was decided in a tiebreaker. Witten was confident. He made three mini breaks and won it 7-2.
World number four made a double break for 3-0 lead in the second set, but the American came back strongly and levelled the score to 3-3 breaking back in the fourth and sixth game. That was all Witten did til the end of the set. Djokovic broke his opponent’s service twice more to take it 6-3.
Witten saved two break points in the eighth game of the third set before holding. The end of the set was similar to the first. The American made a break in the eleventh game and Djokovic fought back for 6-6. This time Nole was more successful and won the tiebreaker 7-2.
Novak earned two break points in the ninth game of the fourth set, and converted the first to go up 5-4. The Serb served it out 6-4 to advance into the fourth round.
Djokovic served 8 aces to his opponent’s 6.
Witten hit more winners 31- 42, but also made more unforced errors 53-62.
The Serb capitalized on 9 of his 18 chances for break, while the American converted 6 of his 11 break points.
Novak after the match:
’It wasn’t easy to play well against the guy that I don’t know anything about. I mean, I have never seen him play, and then suddenly he comes up with those shots from the baseline and then returns. It was unbelievable. He caught me surprised, and that’s the worst thing you can have in the Grand Slams.'
’I think I was too passive throughout most of the part of the match, and I was somehow finding the way to get through. But still, I thought I could be more aggressive. But it’s hard when you have somebody so aggressive and really going for every shot and has nothing to lose and has no pressure. You have to find a way to stick with him all the time. So I’ve tried to do that, and I’m just happy to get through, happy to get another win. You’ve got to always try to look positive. I give him all credit for his performance today, absolutely. He played really well, so you can see that rankings is something that can never really show the right picture, because some of these guys can play top 10 tennis.'
Nole will face world no.16 Radek Stepanek for a place in the quarterfinals. The Czech defeated German Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3.
Djokovic and Stepanek have met four times, Novak leads 3-1.
