Novak Djokovic moved ever closer to a record 21st Grand Slam title after beating Tallon Griekspoor in the second round of the 2021 US Open on Thursday. Djokovic was in sublime form against his Dutch opponent, needing just one hour and 39 minutes to record a comprehensive 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Djokovic made sure there won't be a repeat of his unsteady performance in the previous round, where he surprisingly dropped a set against Denmark's Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune. The world number one blasted 32 winners and committed just 20 unforced errors against Griekspoor, with Djokovic converting six of his ten break point opportunities.
Djokovic to face Nishikori in the third round
Djokovic was delighted with his performance in the second round, saying he was very pleased with the way he came out on the court and that he served very well. With the victory, Djokovic moved to within five wins of completing the historic Calendar Grand Slam.
Djokovic has already won this year's Australian Open, French Open, and the Wimbledon and only needs to capture the US Open to match the feats of the great Rod Laver and Don Budge.
Though, things are bound to get more challenging for Djokovic as he will next face Kei Nishikori in the third round. The Japanese star booked a third-round clash with Djokovic after beating Mackenzie Mcdonald in a five-set thriller. Nishikori needed three hours and 57 minutes to defeat the American, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 2-6, 6-3.
However, Djokovic will fancy his chances against Nishikori as he has fared extremely well against him of late. Djokovic has won 17 of his previous 19 career meetings with Nishikori, including their last 16 matches. They last faced each other in the Tokyo Olympics, with Djokovic defeating Nishikori in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
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Tsitsipas is on the defensive regarding his controversial bathroom breaks
Stefanos Tsitsipas continued to grab the headlines on the other side of the men's draw as he came under fire again for taking a long bathroom break during his second-round encounter against France's Adrian Mannarino.
The 23-year-old Greek star took a very long eight-minute break between the end of the third set and the start of the fourth set and was met with loud boos upon his return by a New York crowd growing tired of his antics.
Tsitsipas did the same thing in his first-round clash with Andy Murray, who was boiling mad during their epic five-set contest. Murray blasted Tsitsipas for influencing the match's outcome with his long breaks, saying he lost respect for this year's French Open finalist.
Tsitsipas maintained that he is not breaking any rules with his long breaks, telling reporters, "I haven't done anything wrong, so I don't understand." All eyes will be on Tsitsipas when he resumes his US Open campaign against Carlos Alcaraz in the third round on Friday.
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