Laslo Djere is a name not many may have known before Friday evening. But the Serbian certainly endeared himself to the New York City crowd, winning the first set of the Round of 32 clash against Novak Djokovic. Djere, who is ranked 38 in the world at the moment, made an immediate impact by breaking Djokovic’s serve in just the second game of the match.
It allowed Laslo Djere to win the first set, 6-4 despite some resistance from Novak Djokovic. The 28-year-old was on a roll, with his powerful groundstokes and attacking play from the baseline, being his USP. Additionally, holding on to every service game against a master returner like Djokovic is an accomplishment.
Djokovic on the backfoot for the first time since 2021
Laslo Djere, out of nowhere, broke a streak in Grand Slams which was owned by Novak Djokovic for almost exactly 2 years. It is because the last time Djokovic lost the first set in a Round of 32 match at a Grand Slam was back in the US Open 2021 by some co-incidence. Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who had made it to the 2014 US Open final, had clinched the first set of his Round 3 match against Novak Djokovic in 2021, winning 7-6 (4).
In fact, after that match, Novak Djokovic lost the first set in his Round of 16, quarterfinal and semifinal matches that followed too. Although the eventual story is that Djokovic overcame all those challenges, like champions do, to make it to the final. Yet, the impact of those set losses was evident in the final against a hard court specialist like Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic succumbed in straight sets, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 which denied him a rare opportunity to win all 4 Grand Slams in a calendar year.
Could it be a similar story at the US Open 2023 as well? Novak Djokovic could take inspiration from the fact that he has bounced back often after losing the first set in Grand Slams. But having a 2-year streak of this kind only highlights Djokovic’s domination after crossing the age of 34 in Grand Slams further. His worst performance in a Grand Slam since the US Open 2021 was the French Open 2022, in which he lost his quarterfinal match to the eventual champion, Rafael Nadal. A remarkable stat indeed.
Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere live scores and streaming details
At the time of writing this report, it was Laslo Djere who was in the lead, 6-4, 5-4. Djere has broken Djokovic for the second time in the match. The Novak Djokovic vs Laslo Djere live streaming is on Fubo and ESPN in the United States.
