Novak Djokovic overcame a back injury to book his place in the US Open fourth round
Djokovic beat Cameron Norrie at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday in four sets
Taylor Fritz was pushed to the limit by qualifier Jerome Kym but he won
Novak Djokovic booked his place in the US Open fourth round after overcoming a back injury and Cameron Norrie at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic was forced to take a medical timeout during the first set, but was able to recover to seal a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3 victory over Norrie in two hours and 50 minutes.
The Serbian's reward for his win is a clash against Jan-Lennard Struff, who upset 2024 semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe earlier in the day at Flushing Meadows.
But Djokovic did not have it all his own way, with the first set overshadowed by his injury, though he was still able to take the early advantage against Norrie.
The seventh seed continued to struggle in the second, with Norrie fighting back from 0-40 down in the seventh game before coming back once again to win the tie-break.
And a shock appeared on the cards when Norrie got the better of Djokovic's serve in the opening game of the third set, but a double fault from the Briton swung the momentum.
Djokovic won six of the final seven games in the third before cruising into the next round with a dominant display in the fourth set to maintain his perfect record against Norrie.
"Overall, it was probably the best serving performance of the tournament," Djokovic said. "Of course, I'm glad for that.
"It's probably one of the most, if not, the most important shot in the game. So I'm glad how I executed that shot."
Elsewhere, fourth seed Taylor Fritz was pushed to the limit by qualifier Jerome Kym, but he was able to get himself over the line to set up a date with Tomas Machac.
On a day that saw home hopefuls Tiafoe and Ben Shelton exit the tournament, Fritz kept the American dream alive with a battling 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (9-11) 6-4 6-4 victory.
The 2024 finalist has now contested back-to-back four-setters at the tournament, but Fritz believes that this experience will only help him towards a first career major.
"I've done a great job of battling through these matches where it's easy to get frustrated, certain shots aren't working, and I'm not playing the level that I want to play," Fritz said.
"But I know, I keep telling myself, 'Win the match, I get a day off, I can figure it out', and I can keep improving throughout this tournament."
Data Debrief: Age is just a number
Djokovic is still chasing a 25th grand slam title, and it is no coincidence he produced some of his best tennis in recent times at the venue where he last won a major title.
Indeed, the 38-year-old became the oldest man to reach the last 16 of the US Open since Jimmy Connors in 1991, and he has often thrived at this stage of grand slams.
Djokovic's victory saw him reach a 69th men's singles round of 16 at grand slam events, equalling Roger Federer for the most of any player in the Open Era.
But he is not the only veteran who has impressed in New York City. In Djokovic, Struff and Adrian Mannarino, three players aged over 35 have reached the men's singles last 16 at a grand slam event for the first time since the US Open in 1982 (Jaime Fillol, Robert Lutz and Ilie Nastase).
