Novak Djokovic rallies from 2 sets down to reach 4th round in U.S. Open

Everyone should know by now to never count out Novak Djokovic. No matter how big a deficit he faces. No matter how poorly he might be playing.

And so it made sense that Djokovic would manage to come all the way back from a two-set deficit to beat Laslo Djere 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the U.S. Open, avoiding what would have been his earliest exit there since 2006.

"The message is sent to the rest of the field, obviously, that I'm still able to play five sets, deep [into the] night. Coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to future opponents," said Djokovic, who next faces Borna Gojo, a 25-year-old qualifier from Croatia making his U.S. Open debut.

"But I'm not really wanting to be in this position, to be honest," Djokovic said. "I prefer a straight-set win. So hopefully I can get back on that track in the next match."

This one began under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night and did not wrap up until more than 3 1/2 hours later, concluding just after 1:30 a.m.

It was Djokovic's eighth career victory after dropping the opening two sets of a match. He also improved to 38-11 in five-setters.

Once he seized control, he held on tight and never let Djere recover. In the crucible of a fifth set, Djokovic was cool as can be, collecting 12 of the initial 14 points to leave no doubt how this would go.

He's won three of his men's-record 23 Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows and been the runner-up a half-dozen times, including in 2021. The 36-year-old from Serbia did not compete in the U.S. Open last year because he couldn't travel to the United States as a foreigner who is not vaccinated against COVID-19; that rule was lifted this May.

Djokovic is seeded No. 2 in New York behind Carlos Alcaraz, and pretty much everyone has been expecting the two of them to meet for the championship on Sept. 10. That appeared as if it might be derailed by Djere, a 28-year-old who is also from Serbia and was seeded 32nd.

"Trust me," Djokovic said, "it was nerve-racking all the way until the last shot."

Swiatek shows no mercy

Iga Swiatek didn't take it easy on close friend Kaja Juvan, beating the Slovenian qualifier 6-0, 6-1, in just 49 minutes to move into the U.S. Open's fourth round.

The top-seeded defending champion from Poland has dropped only nine games so far in the tournament. She's handed her opponents 19 6-0 sets on the WTA tour this year.

Swiatek next faces 20th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the 2017 French Open champion, who came back to beat American Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Paul will next face 20-year-old American Ben Shelton, who downed Russian Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, to reach his second Grand Slam tournament fourth round after his quarterfinal showing at this year's Australian Open.

Earlier, No. 10 Karolina Muchova moved into the women's fourth round with a 7-6 (0), 6-3 victory over Taylor Townsend.

Muchova, who reached the final of this year's French Open, equalled her best showing at Flushing Meadows by pushing the serve-and-volleying American off the net and onto the baseline. The 132nd-ranked Townsend won just 23 of 70 baseline points and had 39 unforced errors.

Muchova came into the U.S. Open with a career-high ranking and momentum after reaching the final of last month's tuneup event in Cincinnati, losing to American Coco Gauff in straight sets.

She next faces Xinyu Wang of China, a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 winner over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia.

At night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff took the last 10 games to come back and beat No. 32 Elise Mertens of Belgium 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Wozniacki rallies past Brady

Caroline Wozniacki won the battle of U.S. Open comeback queens by rallying to beat Jennifer Brady 4-6 6-3 6-1 and move into the fourth round.

Wozniacki and Brady have been the feel-good stories at Flushing Meadows and their storylines converged on a sun-kissed Arthur Ashe Stadium court with the 33-year-old Dane continuing her dazzling return by reaching the last 16.

It seemed improbable just weeks ago that ex-world number one Wozniacki, back playing competitive tennis's after a three-year break to raise a family, and Brady, rising star and Australian Open finalist in 2021 but sidelined for two years with knee and foot injuries, would face each other at a major.

But 28-year-old Brady, just four tournaments into her comeback, and Wozniacki, playing in her third, looked as if they had never been away by treating fans to some quality tennis that at times had the crowd on their feet.

Also into the fourth round are No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz, a 25-year-old from California, and No. 10 Frances Tiafoe, a 25-year-old from Maryland. Fritz overwhelmed Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik, who turned 18 on Friday, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0; Tiafoe was a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6) winner against No. 22 Adrian Mannarino of France.

Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, the top-seeded team and the defending U.S. Open women's doubles champions, were knocked out of the tournament Friday.

They lost 6-2, 6-3 to fellow Czechs Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon singles champion, and Barbora Strycova, who won the doubles title at the All England Club.

The loss by Krejcikova and Siniakova leaves the third-seeded team of Americans Gauff and Jessica Pegula as the highest seeds left in the tournament. No. 2 Mertens and Storm Hunter were upset in the first round.