Djokovic's Night & Day

Turnaround At The W&S

Open
Aug 252020
ATP Staff
After tough opening match, Djokovic finds top form vs.
Sandgren
Novak Djokovic charged past Tennys Sandgren 6-2, 6-4 at the Western &
Southern Open on Tuesday afternoon to extend his unbeaten start to the year to
20 matches.

The World No. 1 won 84 per cent of first-serve points (26/31) and saved all four
break points he faced to advance after 88 minutes. Djokovic underwent a medical
timeout in his opening match against Ricardas Berankis on Monday evening to
have his neck worked on, also reaching for his head in the second set after an
awkward landing. But the 2018 champion showed no physical issues in the third
round.

"I'm as close to [being] painless [in my] neck as I can be," Djokovic said. "I'm
feeling very good and that has obviously positively reflected on my game today."

Djokovic is chasing his second trophy at this ATP Masters 1000 event this week.
Two years ago, he became the first singles player to complete the Career Golden
Masters by winning the Western & Southern Open for the first time. If Djokovic
lifts the title, he will equal Rafael Nadal’s record haul of 35 Masters 1000
crowns.

Djokovic improves to 3-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Sandgren, with
two of those wins coming at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The Serbian also beat Sandgren in four sets en route to the 2018 US Open title.

The five-time year-end World No. 1 made a quick start on Grandstand, breaking
Sandgren’s serve in the opening game by moving up the court and playing with
consistent depth from the baseline to force errors. Djokovic dictated rallies with
his backhand to claim a second break at 4-2, before holding serve for a one-set
lead.

Djokovic used his backhand to attack Sandgren’s forehand and earn a third break
of serve at the start of the second set. After failing to convert five match points at
5-3, Djokovic held serve to love with a forehand winner to confirm his place in
the last eight.

Djokovic will face Jan-Lennard Struff for a semi-final spot in New York. The 33-
year-old is unbeaten in three ATP Head2Head contests against Struff.