Novak Djokovic powered past Jan-lennard Struff in the fourth round of the US Open, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Taylor Fritz. Djokovic secured a straight-set victory inside Arthur Ashe Stadium,despite receiving treatment from a physiotherapist during the match.
The 38-year-old Djokovic acknowledged the significance of each opportunity, stating, “I don’t know how many more I’m going to have, so obviously each one is very special adn I want to thank all you guys for being present here tonight.” The win advances Djokovic toward a potential record-extending 24th Grand Slam title, while navigating a physical challenge. ATP physiotherapist Clay Sniteman visited Djokovic after both the first and second sets, addressing discomfort in the area between his right shoulder and neck, and later his right forearm.
Despite the attention from the trainer, Djokovic remained dominant, breaking Struff’s serve six times.He now boasts 30 tour-level wins this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Struff had entered the match with momentum from victories over holger Rune and Frances tiafoe, but couldn’t replicate that form against Djokovic.
“It definitely helps if you serve well,” Djokovic said. “I think I had a great serving performance in the last round and also tonight…I out-served one of the guys that had the moast aces during the tournament this year, so that’s a great stat.”
Djokovic holds a 10-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Fritz, his next opponent. Fritz advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over 21st seed Tomas Machac, defeating him in one hour and 38 minutes. The two have not played since the Rolex Shanghai Masters last year, with Djokovic having won 23 of the 26 sets played between them.
