NEW YORK:
Novak Djokovic shook off a again drawback to beat Britain’s Cam Norrie in 4 units on Friday to turned the oldest man to achieve the US Open final 16 since Jimmy Connors in 1991.
The 38-year-old Djokovic defeated Norrie 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-3, staying within the hunt for an unprecedented twenty fifth main title.
However the Serbian star admitted whether or not his physique can nonetheless face up to the grind of a two-week lengthy Grand Slam is doubtlessly past his management.
“When it comes to how I am feeling, it actually goes up and down, to be trustworthy,” mentioned Djokovic, who was compromised by harm on the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this yr.
“It is irritating for me, truthfully, that I am not in a position to really feel 100% at all times like I’ve for 20-plus years.
“I suppose the circumstances are fairly completely different and I’ve to get used to the truth that each match there’s one thing which may occur because it has been the case this yr just about each Slam.”
Djokovic earned a file 192nd Grand Slam match win on laborious courts and likewise tied Roger Federer’s mark of last-16 appearances on the majors with 69.
The four-time US Open champion has designs on going a lot additional although, well being allowing.
“If the physique would not hearken to me after I go deep within the Grand Slam tournaments, because it was sort of the case previous couple of Slams, then that is a tough one to swallow for me,” mentioned Djokovic.
“I do know the quantity of hours I am placing in every day to look after my physique, however on the similar time, you realize, organic age just isn’t one thing that I suppose you may reverse.”
Djokovic has now defeated Norrie in all seven of their conferences and is thru to the fourth spherical in New York for the sixteenth time.
On Sunday he’ll play German veteran Jan-Lennard Struff, who has already knocked out two seeds in Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe.
A lone break of Norrie’s serve within the seventh sport was sufficient for Djokovic to pocket the opening set, however not earlier than he summoned the physio to work on his decrease again.
Djokovic headed off courtroom for a medical timeout and returned to serve out the primary set.
“I do not know when it will get chilly tomorrow, I am going to see what the truth is,” mentioned Djokovic of the character of his harm.
“I used to be fortunate, fortunate to not, you realize, have that burden keep there. It was simply there for a number of video games, and after that it was superb.”
He had the possibility to make additional inroads within the second set however Norrie saved three break factors after which pinched the tie-break from his rival who double-faulted on set level.
Norrie took that momentum into the third set with an early break, drawing an emphatic response from Djokovic as he responded by profitable 4 straight video games.
Djokovic quickly made the set his and one other break to begin the fourth set gave him the cushion required to shut out a milestone victory.
“These sort of matches and performances give me, at all times give me hope that I can go far, problem the most effective gamers on the earth,” mentioned Djokovic.
