Djokovic continued his four-setter run at the 2024 Australian Open as the Serbian spent three hours and 12 minutes on a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over 24-year-old Alexei Popyrin.
Djokovic has a 13-1 record against Australians, but Popyrin is not afraid to face the world No. 1. The 43rd ranked player has caused the defending champion a lot of trouble and could have changed the outcome of the match if he had taken advantage of the opportunity to win the third set.
Djokovic is on a 30-match winning streak at the Australian Open (Photo: Getty).
Djokovic shared after the match: "Popyrin missed an easy forehand and I was lucky to get out of danger. He was the better player for a set and a half, but the momentum changed after the tie-break."
Popyrin started quite confidently when chasing Djokovic fiercely in the first set. The home player continuously saved break-points in the 4th and 6th games to continue to put pressure on his opponent, but Djokovic still played very solidly. The No. 1 seed successfully broke the 8th game (5-3) to create a turning point, advancing to a 6-3 victory.
In the second set, Popyrin quickly took the advantage when he broke the 4th game (3-1) and continuously created a gap of two games, he missed the chance to win when he lost the 9th game (4-5). However, Djokovic did not play well in game 10, creating an opportunity for his opponent to win 6-4.
Popyrin is fearless when facing Djokovic (Photo: Getty).
Winning the second set boosted Popyrin's confidence, and he kept forcing Djokovic to chase him in the third set. Popyrin had a chance to win in game 10 when he was leading 40-0, but unfortunately he couldn't take advantage. As a result, Djokovic successfully defended the game after saving a total of 4 set points.
When the second set had to be played in a tie-break, Djokovic used his extensive experience and played with confidence to win 7-4, thereby taking a 2-1 lead. Missing the chance to win in the third set made Popyrin a bit mentally shaken.
Djokovic broke the sixth game, taking a 4-2 lead in the fourth set. Although the host player tried to catch up afterwards, Djokovic did not miss the chance to win. Without losing his serve, Djokovic secured a 6-3 victory and closed out the match.
Djokovic celebrates after winning a point in a rally (Photo: Getty).
"I had mixed emotions on the court, it wasn't a great atmosphere for me to play in today," Djokovic told Eurosport. The Serbian was provoked by an overzealous home fan, which is understandable when Djokovic is up against a native player.
"It's frustrating when you have people chasing you," Djokovic added. Asked about his physical condition, Djokovic said: "I don't want to go into details about how I feel, but I don't feel the best. I've been in this situation many times though."
With Djokovic having to play four sets in his last two matches over seven hours on the court, it is clear that the player who holds the record of 24 Grand Slam titles has not played as well as he usually does. That gives some hope to his opponent in the third round, Tomas Etcheverry.
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