By Erwin Quinonez
Aug 30, 2023, 20:31 PM EDT
The Serbian Novak Djokovic, number two in the ATP ranking, continues to demonstrate his authority at the United States Open that takes place in New York City, where this Wednesday he beat the Spanish Bernabé Zapata to advance to the third round of the tournament. .
Djokovic prevailed over his rival 6-4, 6-1 and 6-1 in a match that lasted one hour and 59 minutes in which he maintained an overwhelming pace in recent games, something that ensures that he will displace the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz from first place in the ranking once the US Open ends.
After the victory against Zapata, the Serb admitted that it was “a tough match” while stressing that in the first set it was not easy to deal with the intense sun and humidity of New York in the early afternoon.
“I didn’t start the match very well, but in the second and third sets (already with the court under shade) I went up a couple of levels (…) I’m very happy with the way I finished the match”, he specified. .
Now, the Serb will face his compatriot Laslo Djere in the next round, who managed to advance after beating Frenchman Hugo Gastón.
For his part, Bernabé Zapata regretted the result, but also saw it from another angle, letting it be known that he was satisfied to have faced a legend like Djokovic. “In the end, it’s what a child always wants when he watches television: to be on a big track in a ‘grand slam’ against one of the best in history,” he told the EFE news agency.
The Valencian had a perfect start to get rid of his nerves as soon as possible: he won his first game to serve in white and had two ‘break’ options against a Djokovic still stretching.
Zapata moved the Serb from side to side bravely and without shaking his hand, but Djokovic took note and was not surprised.
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