Serb reaches third round with 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 win over Jaime FariaSeventh seed pulls clear of Roger Federer’s 430 grand slam matches
Few things have come easily for Novak Djokovic in these early days of his 21st grand slam season, but the most successful player in the history of the game continued his attempts to build momentum on an incredibly familiar court, Rod Laver Arena, and trust with his extremely unfamiliar new coach, Andy Murray. Despite a difficult test against a fearless, young opponent, Djokovic shut the door on Jaime Faria, a qualifier, as he reached the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 win.
By stepping onto Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday afternoon, Djokovic set a new record for the most grand slam matches played in the history of tennis, overtaking his former rival Roger Federer’s count with 430 matches. “When I was a kid, the first image I had of tennis was watching the Wimbledon final at four or five years old,” said Djokovic. “Grand slams are definitely the most important tournament in the world in our sport, it has been over 130 years of existence of this incredible event. I’m just blessed to be making another record, I guess, today.”
More Stories
Manchester City book League Cup semi-final after Murphy seals derby revenge
Ange Postecoglou backs bigger squads in football amid Spurs injury crisis
Arsenal on verge of knockout stage as Havertz ensures win over Dinamo Zagreb