Novak Djokovic joins Serena Williams in elite list, surpasses Roger Federer in another after Australian Open R2 win

Serbian Novak Djokovic eased into third round with a win over another Grand Slam debutant.

Novak Djokovic has just become the second player in the Open Era to reach 150 Grand Slam wins after turning 30. Serena Williams was the first to reach the milestone. Serena is the player with the most Grand Slam title wins in the WTA after turning 30. The American won 10 Grand Slam titles after her 30th birthday. For context, Djokovic has won 12 Grand Slam events after turning 30.   

Serbian legend Novak Djokovic defeated Portugal’s Jaime Faria in their very first tour-level meeting in four sets. The World No. #7 ended Faria’s run with a 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 win with three hours on the clock. The result mirrored the first-round win over Nishesh Basavareddy, coming back after losing the opening set against the American wildcard.

Djokovic has now 430 Grand Slam singles appearances in the Open Era, surpassing Roger Federer for the outright lead.

Just as in the opening round, Djokovic turned the tables on his opponent just as he was beginning to threaten the Serb. The 10-time Australian Open champion made the most of Faria’s 52 unforced errors to emerge victorious from the encounter. Faria did not shy away from approaching the net, winning 14 of 17 points closer to the net.

Faria, a World No. #125, dictated the pace of events all through the second set and even early in the third set, but eventually fell short against the champ.

The Serb now faces Tomas Machac in the third round. Djokovic will have payback on his mind for the semi-final loss to the Czech player last season in Geneva. Djokovic faces Machac for the third time in his career, with their head-to-head tied at 1–1. The upcoming face-off will be their first on the Grand Slam stage.

Also Read: “I was poisoned,” Novak Djokovic reveals shocking incident from Australian Open 2022

Machac outlasted Reilly Opelka in a marathon five-setter. By eliminating Reilly, the Czech ended any chances of an Opelka-Djokovic rematch from Brisbane. Machac took 3 hours and 25 minutes to complete his 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over the American. Opelka’s 89 unforced error blunted the 83 winners that flowed from his racquet as he exited his first Australian Open since 2022.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram