Novak Djokovic has highlighted what he will work on in practice after reaching the second round of the US Open.
It was business as usual for the 24-time Grand Slam champion as he opened his account at Flushing Meadows with a straight sets victory.
Qualifier Radu Albot produced a spirited performance but he could not produce the level required to threaten the Serbian who recorded his 89th win at the US Open.
Despite the solid performance, Novak Djokovic will head to the practice court to work on some things after securing his first hard court win since Indian Wells in March.
What will Novak Djokovic work on before his US Open second round match?
Under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Djokovic found himself 2-1 down in the first set against Albot, before winning five successive games to win the set and he claimed the second set in similar fashion.
The second set was much more competitive, but Djokovic secured the crucial break in the third set to secure a 6-2 6-2 6-4 win.
Despite the win, Djokovic has identified areas of his game that he needs to improve as he shook off the cobwebs after playing his first hard-court match in five months.
“I think it was a solid start. I struggled with my serve and the rhythm on certain shots but overall, from the back of the court, I thought I played pretty well,” Djokovic told reporters in his post-match press conference.
“It is always challenging to start, particularly when you haven’t played on this surface for five or six months and coming off an Olympic gold, playing on clay, I haven’t had any official matches before the US Open.
“I am expecting to be challenged a little bit more in the opening rounds and hopefully I can play better each day. The good thing about slams is that you have a day between matches where you can train and really work on things and perfect your game.
“That’s what I feel like I need. So I am going to hit the practice court tomorrow and work on things which haven’t really worked during the match.”
Novak Djokovic sets new record after US open first round match
After maintaining an unbeaten record in first round matches at the US Open, Olympic champion Djokovic moves into the second round when he will face compatriot Laslo Djere.
The 29-year-old recovered from a two-sets to one deficit to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff to set up a match against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Following his latest win Djokovic informed that he has now won 89 matches at the US Open, putting him level with Roger Federer for the second-highest number of wins in the tournament’s history, which he was not aware of until his post-match interview.
“I wasn’t aware of it to be honest.. It’s the biggest stadium. Definitely the loudest we have in the history of our sport,” Djokovic said.
“The night sessions are the best in the world on Arthur Ashe.. ever since the roof was introduced it became even louder. Electric atmosphere. Incredible energy.”
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