Edmund, the Brit who claimed wins over Richard Gasquet and John Isner on his way to the last 16, instead made far too many errors.
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“From the other side, sure, as you are approaching second week of the grand slam you want to have match play and you want to have time spent on the centre court before you face one of the top players”. “He’s good in all areas”, said the Johannesburg-born Briton.
“He beat me in straight sets but I had some success”, said the British number four.
Djokovic, the beneficiary of a walkover and retirement in the second and third rounds respectively, showed few signs of rustiness early. “The first complete match I played was a first-round night session”, Djokovic said on court afterwards.
Garbiñe Muguruza, the French Open champion, was woeful in a second-round loss to Anastasija Sevastova, while 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic was outhit by Sock in a third round triumph for the American, who is into week two here for the first time in his career.
Novak Djokovic moves to the fourth round and plays against Kyle Edmund on Monday. “I really wanted to start the match well today”, Djokovic said, “because I didn’t have much time on the court overall before the fourth round, and considering I had some struggles before the tournament”.
Djokovic will be a step up in class, having enjoyed the benefit of two withdrawals and nearly five days rest, but Edmund knows what to expect after losing to the Serbian in Miami in March.
For most of the first two sets he was as quiet as a country mouse, unable to get into the match as Djokovic brought a fierce intensity to the court.
After about 75 minutes Djokovic led by two sets and a break. Baseline shots, both forehand and backhand, were working very well.
The defeat means Andy Murray is left as Britain’s sole interest in the singles at Flushing Meadows, while Djokovic goes through to meet France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals.
Edmund then kept his cool in the fourth, moving 6-3 ahead in the tie-break and although Isner saved two match points to make his opponent serve out, the Briton obliged, as a forehand victor confirmed his thrilling victory in two hours and 43 minutes.
Djokovic even cracked a smile after one effortless exchange in which he ran Edmund this way and that before dropping a backhand victor right near the baseline early in the third set. When Isner disputed a call on Edmund’s serve, he had run out of challenges and threw his racket to the ground in anger. Edmund actually broke Djokovic’s service with the defending champion up 2-0 in the third set, and then held service to tie the set 2-2.
That, though, was that. He is taking his game to his opponents.
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Tennis Channel recaps the day’s action at the U.S. Open, where Serena and Venus Williams, Simona Halep, Any Murray and Stan Wawrinka won easily in the third round.
