Serbian Novak Djokovic overcame an injury to his hip and a first set loss by rallying to beat Spain’s Tommy Robredo in a five-set slugfest at the US Open on Tuesday.
Djokovic, who now leads the career meetings against Robredo with a 3-1 record, appeared to be suffering from a number of ailments during the match, including a bad hip, breathing problems and a twisted ankle.
But he battled through and after the last ball was struck, Djokovic raised both arms into the air then pointed to his heart, knee and head as the crowd of 10,000 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium stood and cheered.
“I need to stay next to the net otherwise I will fall down,” Djokovic said immediately after the match. “Really. It was an incredible match.”
The 2007 US Open runner-up faced a stiff test from 15th-seeded Robredo in the three-hour, 44-minute, fourth-round match.
The third-seeded Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals where he will play the winner of a match between Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Roddick of the United States.
The 21-year-old Djokovic hammered 11 aces and hit 55 winners but he also made 58 unforced errors compared to 42 for Robredo.
“If I start talking about the things that are bothering me now we can talk about this until tomorrow,” Djokovic said. “Whoever I play next will be physically fitter than me that’s for sure.”
Robredo took a spill of his own in the fifth set, rolling near the baseline while lunging for a shot. It didn’t appear to affect his movement but his timing wasn’t the same after that as the fifth set lasted 37 minutes which is half the time it took to play the over one-hour fourth set.
Robredo broke Djokovic in the ninth game of the first set then won four consecutive service points to take the set 6-4.
Djokovic called for the trainer after losing the first set to receive treatment for the hip injury. Djokovic took the second set by breaking Robredo is the sixth and eighth games of set.
The match included one 24-shot rally in the fourth set that was finished off by a precision forehand winner from Robredo.
Robredo won the fourth set when Djokovic hit a forehand long on the second set point of the 12th game. Djokovic survived the first set point in the fourth by hitting a forehand winner of his own.
Spanish number two Tommy Robredo was trying to get the quarters for the first time in five tries. He won earlier this year on clay in Bastad, Switzerland.
By AFP
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