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NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic showed a bit more passion than expected in his first-round win over Damir Dzumhur on Monday, but the world number one brushed aside any doubts that he was feeling the pressure as the overwhelming US favorite. Open.
The Serb lost his way a bit in the second set, but bounced back for a straight win at Arthur Ashe Stadium that extended his extraordinary winning streak to 24 matches this year.
The absence of fans due to the coronavirus pandemic perhaps exaggerated his irritable exchange with the referee, the angry roar he emitted after sealing the second set, and a little back and forth with his box.
For Djokovic, however, it was all part of his appearance as a 17-time Grand Slam champion.
“You care about winning a tennis match, you’re obviously a professional,” said the top seed on the court after scheduling a second-round meeting with Britain’s Kyle Edmund.
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be here. This is how I play, I play with a lot of intensity and I try to bring a lot of energy to the field ”.
In the absence of the other two men vying for the title of the best male player of the modern era, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, Djokovic is a bookmaker favorite to win a fourth US Open crown.
That, combined with keeping the prospect that he could go the year undefeated, could weigh on a player with less mental strength.
“I know that pressure is a privilege, pressure is part of what we do,” Djokovic added at a news conference.
“I try to hug him. I know what to do and how to behave, how to remain calm, composed and focused on what really needs to be done. “
Djokovic admitted to resorting to the cliché when he said he would take each game as it came at Flushing Meadows, but avoided the usual sports trope of ignoring statistics when asked about the winning streak.
“Do I want to keep the streak going? Of course I do, ”he said.
“Am I thinking of it as a number one priority every day? Not.
“It is there and of course it is an additional motivation for me. In fact, it drives me to play even stronger, to play even better, I think I bring the right intensity in every game. “- Reuters
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