US Open, day 2 men’s wrap: Djokovic starts record quest with four-set win, Carreno Busta knocked out

World No 1 Novak Djokovic won without playing his best to reach the second round of the US Open on Tuesday in his quest for a calendar-year Grand Slam and record 21st Major title.

The 34-year-old Serbian star dominated much of the way in beating 18-year-old Danish qualifier Holger Rune 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1 after two hours and 15 minutes in the night feature at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It wasn’t the best of my performances,” Djokovic said. “At the same time, he played well in the second set when it mattered and I didn’t serve well in the second set.”

History-chasing Djokovic, who has won eight of the past 12 Grand Slam events, will next face 121st-ranked Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, a rival the top seed admitted he didn’t know much about.

“I know this court well,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully that’s going to help.”

Djokovic would complete the first men’s singles calendar-year Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 by winning the crown on the New York hardcourts. He would also break the deadlock for all-time men’s Slam titles at 20 which he shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent due to injuries, as is defending champion Dominic Thiem.

Rune, ranked 145th, began cramping in the third set and struggled to finish.

“From the third or fourth game in the third set, he couldn’t move much,” Djokovic said. “You could see he struggled a lot. I feel for him.”

Djokovic won the first set in 26 minutes without facing a break point, fell behind 3-0 to start the second before battling into the tie-breaker, where Rune grabbed leads of 4-0 and 6-3. After two Djokovic service winners, he sent a backhand service return long to drop the set.

In the third set, Djokovic broke to lead 3-1 and Rune began getting treatments between games, grimacing at times and struggling to run for shots to the end.

Zverev stretches streak

Earlier Tuesday, Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev stretched his win streak to 12 matches and warned he has his eyes on denying Djokovic the Slam.

Fourth seed Zverev, who beat Djokovic in an Olympic semi-final, dispatched American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

“I hope in two weeks’ time I’ll be on an 18-match winning streak,” said Zverev, who would claim his first Grand Slam title if he creates such a run.

The 24-year-old German, last year’s US Open runner-up, hit 18 aces and 40 winners while never facing a break point in advancing after an hour and 40 minutes.

“Novak is chasing history,” Zverev said. “But the young guys are going to try and get in the way of that. I’m going to try to give him a challenge as well.”

Zverev, who next faces Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas, could face Djokovic in the semi-finals.

“I hope I can keep the level up,” Zverev said. “To beat Novak here is going to be an extremely difficult task.”

Qualifier pulls stunner

French-born US qualifier Maxime Cressy fired 44 aces and saved four match points to upset Spanish ninth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

After beating Djokovic for a Tokyo Olympic bronze medal, the Spaniard’s US Open ended slamming down his racquet in frustration. Carreno Busta, a 2017 and 2020 US Open semi-finalist, smashed his racquet to the court after sending the final shot wide after three hours and 35 minutes.

“One point at a time. I just tell myself the same thing at that point in the match and today it came out my way,” Cressy said. “I’m really happy things are starting to pay off.”

World No 151 Cressy made his tour-level debut at last year’s US Open as a wildcard. He reached his first ATP quarter-final in July at Newport.

Next for Cressy is a second-round match against Georgia’s 39th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili, who advanced after Sebastian Korda retired hurt.

Japan’s 56th-ranked Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, eliminated Italy’s 113th-ranked Salvatore Caruso 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3. He next plays American Mackenzie McDonald with Djokovic a possible third-round opponent.

Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini, a US Open semi-finalist two years ago, defeated France’s Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.

Results

First round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Holger Rune (DEN) 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1

Tallon Griekspoor (NED) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3

Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt David Goffin (BEL x27) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3

Aslan Karatsev (RUS x21) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3)

Hubert Hurkacz (POL x10) bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Márton Fucsovics (HUN) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (15/13)

Denis Kudla (USA) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)

Oscar Otte (GER) bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA x20) 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1)

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x28) 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Ilya Ivashka (BLR) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4

Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3)

Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) bt Jérémy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3

Alexander Zverev (GER x4) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2

Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4

Jack Sock (USA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

Alexander Bublik (KAZ x31) bt Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Gael Monfils (FRA x17) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Steve Johnson (USA) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 5-7, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (10/8), 6-3

Zachary Svajda (USA) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Jannik Sinner (ITA x13) bt Max Purcell (AUS) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

Maxime Cressy (USA) bt Pablo Carreño-Busta (ESP x9) 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7)

Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Sebastian Korda (USA) 6-2, 2-1, retired

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) bt Emilio Nava (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3

Reilly Opelka (USA x22) bt Kwon Soon-woo (KOR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4

Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x25) 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Ernesto Escobedo (USA) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1

Roberto Carballés (ESP) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

Denis Shapovalov (CAN x7) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

With AFP Inputs