NEW YORK: The world of tennis was in a twist for about an hour on Monday night while America engaged in a raucous celebration of screwball shot-making.
The Arthur Ashe stadium, packed to capacity, waded in behind their man, a 20-year-old, going by the name of Jenson Brooksby. The applause came like a tidal wave from the multiple tiers of seating, giving the stadium a fortress-like vibe. The world No.99’s play sparked an eccentric arch - a two-handed slice, that looked like it belonged in the junior game, but had riveting purchase, add to that a chip-and-charge routine and a serve the 6 ft 4’ pro uses to start a rally, rather than dictate the pace of play – all colour and mesmerizing craft.
At the other end of the chalked lines was the world No.1 Novak Djokovic, whose reputation for shrinking courts with his elastic mobility took a beating in that one-hour of the fourth-round meeting when he appeared to be running late.
Staying with Djokovic, however, is the tougher part of playing the Serbian as Brooksby and the full-house joylessly found out. After a tug-of-war in the 68-minute second set -- where 76 of the 211 total points of the match were contested -- Djokovic broke free for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win that put him in the last-eight, where he plays Italian Matteo Berrettini. More importantly the victory put the Serb within three matches of history, a calendar Grand Slam and a 21st major title.
Djokovic was taken by surprise early in the match, which is not to say he hadn’t done his homework, but against an opponent like the man from Sacramento, California, you cannot cover enough. The top-seed was broken twice in a 30-minute opening set where Brooksby didn’t put a foot wrong. He absorbed the 20-time major winner’s pace while feeding him an unhealthy dose of underspin that sent the fans into a late-night frenzy.
When things are not going his way on court, Djokovic has turned to noisy fans taking them on, losing his way further before finding it again. There was none of that on Monday, he simply labelled the atmosphere as ‘electric, awesome’ punctuating the description with laughter.
Djokovic took control of the match when he broke to open the third set and while both players appeared reduced after a tough second set, it was the top-seed who pulled clear. There was no reprieve for Brooksby, not even after treatment to his left hamstring.
“The momentum changed midway through the second set, we played a couple of very long games. I lost my serve, but I regrouped to re-break the next game and after that I started hitting more cleanly, hitting through the court,” said Djokovic, who has already been taken to four sets in his campaign here by Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune and Kei Nishikori. “Whenever I needed a serve I found my serve, but all in all it was a very physical battle, a lot of exhausting rallies.”
The world No.1 added, “He has a bit of an unorthodox game. He's smart and knows how to win points. He showed mental maturity. He was motivated and did his best.”
Brooksby -- who is passionate about playing piano, finding it relaxing and a fun skill to have – hit some amazing notes in the arena. “Atmospheres like that are what you want to be in front of -- watching it on TV when you were a kid and now living it,” he said. “It is something I really appreciate and I'm grateful for.”
