2 things that stood out in Novak Djokovic's 4R win over Borna Gojo at US Open 2023
Second seed Novak Djokovic thrashed Borna Gojo 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday, September 4. The Serbian finished the match in less than three hours and is now three matches away from winning his 24th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic will face Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Fritz, a solid player with a powerful serve and forehand, could find it very difficult to overcome the 36-year-old.
While Gojo gave it his all, it simply was not enough to topple Djokovic, who looked hungry and fit to go all the way in New York. On that note, let us take a look at two things that stood out in the match:
#1 Djokovic pushed Gojo well behind the baseline with his groundstrokes
Djokovic kept hitting his groundstrokes from the baseline as well as the mid-court with consummate ease off either wing to repeatedly push Gojo well behind the baseline. The Serb then ventured forward into the net to finish points off with volleys and thereby assert his supremacy.
He broke the Croat twice in the first set to win it and it was always going to be an uphill task for the World No. 105 to make a comeback from that point.
#2 Gojo let an advantage slip as Djokovic cruised through
Gojo broke Djokovic in the second game of the second set to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Serb broke back immediately as the Croat committed a double fault on break point. He then won seven of the remaining 10 games, breaking Gojo twice in the process.
In the third set, Djokovic did enough to get the decisive break and thereby secure his win quite comfortably. Gojo started overpressing at times to hit quite a few shots long, which made Djokovic’s job easier. He finished the match with an ace and boom his spot in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic won 88% of the points on his first serve, while Gojo managed only 66%, which proved to be a significant difference. He also fared better with his second delivery, winning 59% of the points on it against Gojo’s 48%. The Croat faced 13 break point opportunities and was able to save only eight of them. Djokovic, meanwhile, was broken only once all match.