Djokovic battles past another debutant to advance at Australian Open

Melbourne [Australia], January 15 (ANI): For the second consecutive match in his Australian Open campaign, Novak Djokovic faced a four-set challenge from a Grand Slam debutant. After overcoming 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round, Djokovic defeated 21-year-old qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday, continuing his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam singles title and 100th ATP tour-level title.
Similar to his opener against Basavareddy, Djokovic encountered resistance from his younger opponent but eventually took control to secure a comfortable victory. The 37-year-old got off to a strong start, establishing a lead of one set and a break, but his level dipped, allowing Portugal's Faria to win four consecutive games and make his mark on Rod Laver Arena. Though Djokovic forced a tiebreak, Faria, ranked No. 125 in the ATP Rankings, used his serve and forehand effectively to take the second set.
"I think I responded very well in the third and particularly fourth set, the way I ended the match," said the Serbian, as per the official website of ATP.
"He was playing lights-out tennis towards the end of the second set and beginning of the third. I had to weather the storm. He's been practically serving two first serves the entire match. It's not easy to play someone like that who doesn't have obviously anything to lose coming out. He's a big guy, very young... so I told him at the net, the future is bright for him, he should keep going," he added.
With guidance from his coach, Andy Murray, urging him to play more aggressively, Djokovic regained control in the third set. He faced only one break point in the final two sets, dominating his first-serve points (90% according to Infosys Stats) and closing out the match in three hours.
Djokovic now advances to the third round, where he will face 26th-seeded Czech player Tomas Machac. Machac edged past Reilly Opelka in a grueling five-set match earlier on Wednesday, winning 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4. The two players have met twice before, splitting their encounters in 2023 and 2024. Machac claimed their most recent match in the Geneva semi-finals, while Djokovic prevailed in their first meeting in Dubai, winning a decisive tiebreak.
This marks Djokovic's 17th appearance in the Australian Open third round out of 20 tournaments. By contesting his 430th Grand Slam singles match, he surpasses Roger Federer to set the all-time record for most major singles matches played by any player, male or female.
"I love this sport. I love competition," Djokovic said.

"I try to give my best every single time. It's been over 20 years that I've been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level. Whether I win or lose one thing is for sure: I'll always leave my heart out on the court," he noted, as quoted by the official website of ATP.
At 37 years and 249 days by the tournament's end, Djokovic is vying to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era. The current record is held by Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open at 37 years and 62 days. (ANI)