Djokovic glad he overcame tough conditions in 2nd round win

Novak Djokovic was truly tested in his 2nd round matchup against Frances Tiafoe with the Serbian ace requiring four sets to move on.

When Novak Djokovic drew Frances Tiafoe in the 2nd round of the Australian Open many expected a tough match for the Serbian but none expected the American to truly trouble Novak the way he did. The match lasted an exhausting three and a half hours in very warm conditions which Novak noted after:

“It was a very tough match, very warm and a lot of long rallies. I want to say that Frances put up a really good fight. The matches are only going to get tougher. I was fortunate to get through the third set today. It was anyone’s game and Frances served great."

The third set was a tightly contested one ending in a tiebreak and with the score being 1-1 in sets at that time Novak could have easily been forced to go all five in order to win. One thing that helped him was his comfort level at the Australian Open and the Rod Laver Arena specifically:

"When you win a lot on Rod Laver Arena, you feel comfortable. It feels like my living room, although I’m not sitting on my couch – I’m running all over the place. This is the quickest court conditions in the 15 years that I’ve played here.”  

Novak noted his opponent's competitive spirit and good serving after the match which pushed the Serbian to the limits:

“I was impressed with the way he was competing. He served very well. He fought hard. I thought we both played on a pretty high level. He pushed me to the very limit."

Novak will play Taylor Fritz next which is another good serving American. Playing against a similar player in Tiafoe might prove an edge for Novak as prepares to face a very similar player in Fritz.