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Laslo Djere was applauded by Novak Djokovic after hitting an incredible shot against his fellow Serb during their third-round meeting at the US Open. Djere was on course to send Djokovic crashing out of the tournament after winning the first two sets but the latter dug deep to secure a hard-earned victory in three hours and 45 minutes.
Djere came flying out of the blocks in New York as he raced into a two-set lead, capitalising on Djokovic’s slow start by putting his service game to good use. A significant upset was on the cards but Djokovic ultimately managed to claw his way back into the contest.
The 36-year-old pegged Djere back by winning the third set before his unfancied opponent responded by producing arguably the shot of the tournament early in the fourth. Djokovic was in full control during the point in question but was left flummoxed by a moment of brilliance when a pinpoint backhand return from Djere dipped inside the white line.
It came after Djokovic had approached the net before opening up his body to unleash a powerful forehand into the far corner of the court. His shot would usually have been a sure-fire winner but Djere managed to flick a perfect backhand over the net and past his opposite number before it bounced inside the line to secure the point.
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The shot received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd in attendance, while Djokovic responded by flashing a thumbs-up gesture and clapping in acknowledgement. It did little to fuel Djere’s hopes of victory, though, with Djokovic going on to win the fourth set before claiming the fifth to complete an impressive comeback.
The result marked the eighth time Djokovic had battled back from a two-set deficit, while it was only his second time at the US Open after he famously fought back to defeat Roger Federer in 2011. He will face Borna Gojo in the fourth round on Sunday as he looks to maintain his hopes of securing a fourth title at Flushing Meadows with another well-earned victory.
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Speaking after the match, Djokovic said: “It was one of the toughest matches that I have played here in many years and huge, huge credit to Laslo for playing some of the best tennis that I’ve ever seen him play. I honestly have never seen him play like this, he was feeling the ball extremely well.
“Everything was kind of in his striking zone. He was tactically prepared very well. He started the match very, very good, he was far more comfortable than me. I was defending mostly in the first two sets. I think the message is sent to the rest of the field, obviously, that I’m still able to play five sets deep at night, and coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to future opponents.”
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