Novak Djokovic vs. Andreas Seppi: Score and Reaction from 2015 US Open

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic scored a straight-sets victory over Andreas Seppi Friday afternoon (6-3, 7-5, 7-5) to advance to the fourth round of the 2015 U.S. Open.

After relatively routine triumphs over Joao Souza and Andreas Haider-Maurer to open the season's final major, the world's top-ranked player was finally pushed a bit by the veteran Italian. He still managed to move forward without dropping a set, though.

The increased challenge didn't come as a surprise to Djokovic. He understood the problems Seppi, the No. 25 seed, is capable of presenting on the big stage, as noted by Danielle Joynson of Sports Mole:

"

If you allow him to play, he can play well. No question about it, he's got shots. He was I think top 15, top 20 in the world. He's been there for many years. He has experience. He played on Arthur Ashe. He's not going to get overwhelmed by the occasion. I'm going to try to obviously impose certain tactics, trying to control the game and kind of set my own pace to that match.

"

The talented Serb, who would have had a Grand Slam sweep on the line alongside Serena Williams if not for a loss in the French Open final to Stan Wawrinka, came out flat. He wasn't moving around the court with his usual ease and didn't strike the ball as purely as he usually does.

Carole Bouchard of the Yellow Ball Corner picked up on his early issues:

Unsurprisingly, he eventually settled in and started playing tennis closer to the level typically expected from him. He got a crucial break in the eighth game of the first set and then served it out without any drama to grab the early edge.   

It wasn't a set that will land in his career highlight reel, as Sasa Ozmo of Serbia's B92 noted, but Djokovic still escaped without falling behind in the match:

The second set showcased more of the same from both players. Djokovic played solid, albeit not championship tennis, and Seppi just couldn't elevate his own game enough to take advantage.

That's the advantage that being an outstanding defender gives the top seed. Even when he isn't crushing winners off both wings, Djokovic can still do enough to win games. The margin for error is only going to decrease moving forward, though.

Once again, a late Djokovic break changed the course of a highly competitive set. He broke in the 11th game and served it out. His ability to come up with key shots in crucial moments separates him from the pack.

U.S. Open Tennis highlighted the set-winning point:

Djokovic put himself in position for a more comfortable third set with an early break. His first effort to finish off the match was thwarted by a series of terrific rallies from Seppi, who managed to get the break back to level the set at 5-5.

The 2011 U.S. Open champion quickly righted the ship, however. He returned the favor with a break in the next game and didn't falter with the match on his racket for a second time, ending the contest with a second consecutive 7-5 set.

U.S. Open Tennis showcased the match's conclusion:

His victory continued an unblemished run of success against Seppi, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Looking ahead, Djokovic will play the winner of the ongoing match between David Goffin and Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round. He'll be a sizable favorite either way, with a 3-0 career record against Goffin and a 2-0 mark against Agut.

He'll need to play complete tennis in order to capture the championship next weekend, though. Djokovic didn't play poorly against Seppi, but it was more of a grind than the first two matches. It's going to take better performances to beat top opponents during the second week.

That said, getting off the court in straight sets during the early matches to save some energy for the latter portion of the event is always a positive.