Djokovic Ready For Physical And Mental Battle Against Carreno Busta

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Novak Djokovic’s quest for an 18th Grand Slam trophy will continue at the US Open on Sunday, when the World No. 1 faces 2017 semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta during the day session in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The three-time champion enters the contest with an unbeaten 26-0 record this year and will be aiming to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the 12th time. Between 2007 and 2018, Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals or better in each of his 11 tournament appearances.

Djokovic will attempt to improve on his Round of 16 exit at last year’s event when he meets Carreno Busta. The Serbian’s impressive quarter-final streak came to an end when he was forced to retire with a left shoulder injury against 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka.

Djokovic enters the fourth-round meeting against Carreno Busta with a 3-0 ATP Head2Head record. Each of the pair’s three previous clashes were also contested at the Round of 16 stage, with the 17-time Grand Slam champion dropping just one set. But Djokovic knows that if his ambitions of lifting a fourth trophy in New York are to be realised, he will need to be fully prepared for a battle against the Spaniard.

“He’s a very solid player, maybe doesn’t possess any big weapons, but every shot is very good,” Djokovic said. “He returns a lot of balls, so I’ve got to be ready for a lot of exchanges. It’s going to be a demanding match physically and mentally.”

Carreno Busta will be looking to add a new chapter to his impressive history at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The World No. 27 advanced to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the site in 2017, winning each of his five matches in straight sets. At last week’s Western & Southern Open, held at the same venue, Carreno Busta captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in doubles alongside Alex de Minaur.

The winner of Djokovic and Carreno Busta’s encounter will face seventh seed David Goffin or Denis Shapovalov. Goffin is aiming to reach his first US Open quarter-final and go one step further than his past three visits to Flushing Meadows.

This is the fourth straight year Goffin has advanced to the Round of 16 in New York, but the Belgian has lost each of his previous three matches at the stage without winning a set. Goffin enters his contest against Shapovalov with a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record, having beaten the #NextGenATP Canadian en route to last year’s Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships semi-finals.

One of three Canadian men in the fourth round, Shapovalov has been forced to battle his way through each of his opening three contests. The 12th seed claimed four-set victories against Sebastian Korda and Soonwoo Kwon, before rallying from two-sets-to-one down against Taylor Fritz. Like Goffin, Shapovalov will also be aiming to reach his first US Open quarter-final. The Canadian has already equalled his best Grand Slam run, which came at this event in 2017. On his tournament debut, the left-hander won six matches from qualifying before losing in three tie-break sets to Carreno Busta.

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Alexander Zverev’s will continue his title bid against #NextGenATP Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Zverev is aiming to reach his second straight Grand Slam quarter-final, following a semi-final run at this year’s Australian Open. The German has been challenged in each of his opening three matches, but has raised his game on each occasion to move clear and improve to 10-5 at the Grand Slam championship.

US Open debutant Davidovich Fokina entered the tournament with a 1-2 record in Grand Slam matches, but the World No. 99 has outlasted Dennis Novak, 24th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Cameron Norrie to set a fourth-round match against Zverev. This will be the Spaniard’s first match against a Top 10 player.

Two days after his stunning comeback against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Borna Coric will return to action against Jordan Thompson of Australia. Having saved six match points to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the third time, Coric will attempt to reach a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final in his first meeting against Thompson. Following his straight-sets victory against Mikhail Kukushkin in the third round, Thompson will compete in the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for the first time.

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2020
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM start 12:00 pm
WTA Match
[1] Novak Djokovic v [20] Pablo Carreno Busta

Not Before 7:00 pm
[12] Denis Shapovalov v [7] David Goffin
WTA Match

LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM start 11:00 am
WTA Match
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina v [5] Alexander Zverev

Not Before 3:00 pm
WTA Match

Not Before 5:00 pm
[27] Borna Coric v Jordan Thompson

Click here to view the full US Open Day 7 schedule.

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