Novak Djokovic Notches 4-Set Win over Kyle Edmund in 2nd Round of US Open
September 2, 2020
Novak Djokovic continued his perfect season with a second-round win over Kyle Edmund on Wednesday at the 2020 U.S. Open.
After some early struggles, the No. 1 seed in the men's draw took control on the way to a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium. He took over with his serve, tallying 16 aces to only three double-faults while winning 83 percent of his first-serve points.
It helped Djokovic improve to 25-0 in 2020 and 29-0 in the first two rounds at this event in his career.
He will face No. 28 seed Jan-Lennard Struff in Round 3 as he continues his quest to win the U.S. Open for the fourth time.
The first set was enough to turn heads as Edmund used a variety of shots to win it in a tiebreak:
There were no breaks in the opening set, but the No. 44 player in the world impressed with his ability to keep up with the world's best:
The lost set was also rare, especially considering he had been 10-0 in tiebreaks this year.
Djokovic settled down from there, earning four breaks over his next two sets to take control of the match.
His forehand and backhand were on fire:
Djokovic eventually closed things out in a fourth set that featured more control while also taking advantage of his opportunities.
After a poor start, he won six of his nine break opportunities over the final three sets to secure what became a relatively easy win.
Edmund had been off to a strong start in 2020, winning the New York Open while producing a 10-5 record entering Wednesday. The 25-year-old continued to showcase his skills against a player who had been nearly flawless.
It simply wasn't enough to pull off the upset as the top seed found a way to advance.
Finishing with 36 unforced errors compared to 27 winners is not going to get it done against an elite opponent like this.
The draw will now get tougher for Djokovic, likely having to face seeded players the rest of the way. Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas looms as a potential semifinal opponent.
The Serbian still remains the favorite to go the distance in New York and claim yet another Grand Slam.