Djokovic puts unbeaten run on line on Day 5 at US Open

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic puts his undefeated record in 2020 on the line in a third-round match on Day 5 against No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff. It’s a rematch: Djokovic beat Struff 6-3, 6-1 last week at the Western & Southern Open, part of the 17-time Grand Slam champion’s 25-0 start to the season. In other men’s play Friday, No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas faces No. 27 Borna Coric, and No. 5 Alexander Zverev faces No. 32 Adrian Mannarino. In a matchup between players who won 2015 junior titles at Flushing Meadows, No. 19 Taylor Fritz, a 22-year-old American, will play No. 12 Dennis Shapovalov, a 21-year-old Canadian. Five years ago, Fritz was the boys champ in singles, Shapovalov in doubles. On the women’s side, 2018 champion Naomi Osaka plays Marta Kostyuk, while 63rd-ranked Jessica Pegula’s debut in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament comes against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. “Honestly, I don’t even think I’m playing that great. I’m figuring it out,” Pegula said. “Maybe before, I would have gotten more easily frustrated or not played as smart. I’m staying tough in the really tough moments.”

FRIDAY’S FORECAST

Sunny. High of 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius).

THURSDAY’S WEATHER

Cloudy. High of 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius).

THURSDAY’S KEY RESULTS

Men’s second round: No. 2 Dominic Thiem beat Sumit Nagal 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; No. 6 Matteo Berrettini beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (6); No. 21 Alex de Minaur beat Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5; Vasek Pospisil beat No. 25 Milos Raonic 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3; No. 31 Marin Cilic beat Norbert Gombos 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

Women’s second round: No. 2 Sofia Kenin beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4; Sorana Cirstea beat No. 9 Johanna Konta 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova beat No. 10 Garbiñe Muguruza 7-5, 6-3, No. 22 Amanda Anisimova beat Katrina Scott 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

STAT OF THE DAY

111-110 — Konta’s edge in total points in her loss to Cirstea.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I kept thinking, like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this is the U.S. Open. Where is everybody?’ It’s definitely, like, a huge bummer. I’m not going to lie, pretend like it’s not, because it is.” — Anisimova on the lack of spectators.

(Image Credit: AP)