World no.1 Novak Djokovic recorded a routine 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 win over German’s Benjamin Becker in the second round of the US Open on Friday.
The four-time US Open finalist and 2011 champion needed one hour and 51 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium court to defeat his opponent and secure a spot in the third round of the final Grand Slam event of the season.
Nole broke his rival’s resistance after 52 minutes of play, taking the first set tie-breaker 7-2.
The Serbian top seed broke Becker twice in the second and third sets to seal his 46th victory in 2013.
“It was very tough,” said Djokovic. “There were many unforced errors, very windy conditions. You couldn’t really read and kind of predict where the ball was going to go, so I had to be very alert. At the start I had difficulty with my footwork. I was fortunate enough to come back after fighting off two set points. I took the first set, and after that I felt much more comfortable on the court.”
Match statistics: aces (13-6), double faults (2-4), winners (40-19), unforced errors (26-36), total points won (102-73).
Novak will face Portugal’s ATP no.95 Joao Sousa for a place in the last 16. The 24-year-old Guimaraes native upset world no.41, Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in five sets.
It will be their first career encounter. The match is scheduled on Sunday at 19.00 local time (Monday at 01.00 CET).
Photo: Getty Images
