With a win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round of the Australian Open, Novak wrote a new page in tennis history by recording his 400th career win at Grand Slam tournaments.
Just like in his first two matches in Melbourne, Novak played at a very high level. He beat the Dutchman in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in two hours and 44 minutes.
Although the match started at 19:00 local time, the conditions were far from pleasant. The temperature was 38°C. Novak found his rhythm faster in those tough conditions. In the third game, he calmly saved a break point, and in the next game he took advantage of his opponent’s lapse in concentration to break serve for 3-1. From there, Novak stayed in control, went up 4-1, and comfortably closed the set 6-3.
In the second set, Novak quickly built a strong lead. He broke serve twice and went up 3-0. After receiving medical treatment for pain in his right shoulder, the Dutch player managed to get one break back and reduce the score to 3-2, but that did not change the flow of the set. Even though Van de Zandschulp raised his level, Novak safely held his advantage and did not allow any break chances, winning the set 6-4.
The third set was Novak’s first real test of the match. After a medical timeout for the Serbian player, Van de Zandschulp earned his second break and took a 3-1 lead. Novak responded immediately, broke back, and leveled the score at 3-3. His rival stayed aggressive and at 6-5 had two break/set points, but failed to convert them. The set was decided in a tie-break, where Novak stayed calm and won 7-4.
Match statistics: Aces (11-15), double faults (6-4), winners (27-33), unforced errors (23-48), total points won (112-88).
Novak will face 20-year-old Jakub Menšík (CZE, 16) in the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Monday. Menšík defeated American Ethan Quinn 6-2, 7-6, 7-6.
This will be their third meeting, with each player having won one match against the other so far.
Photo: Profimedia
