Novak Djokovic was pumped up in Melbourne Novak Djokovic was pumped up in Melbourne Novak Djokovic had to come from a set down to defeat Nishesh Basavareddy in his first-round tie at the Australian Open. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)solare
Ten-time Australian Open champion Djokovic, who was making a record-equalling 429th grand slam appearance, was handed an early square by 19-year-old American wildcard Basavareddy.
The world number 107, however, could not keep up the form he showed in the opener as Djokovic prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena.
A pumped-up Djokovic grabbed the decisive breaks in sets two and three, and while he was nowhere close to his best, the 37-year-old's service game proved too much for Basavareddy to handle at times.
Indeed, that was the case in the final set. Basavareddy bravely clawed back three match points, but a 23rd ace of the match from Djokovic got the job done.
While Basavareddy can reflect on a statement performance on his grand slam debut, Djokovic's quest for a record-breaking 25th grand slam title continues.
429 - Novak Djokovic will appear in his 429th Grand Slam singles match, equalling Roger Federer for the most during the Open Era. Mammoth. #AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/GJNYZD8HWB
One did not realise the enormity of this feat. Harmanpreet is basically a defensive midfielder in footballing parlance and to score 200 goals, is truly a great achievement.
Pakistan, on the other hand, are behind India in second place, with eight points to their name, and also beat hosts China 5-1 in their most recent fixture.
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 13, 2025Data Debrief: Another record beckons
Djokovic has now played 429 main-draw matches at grand slams, matching the Open Era record set by Roger Federer.
It means his second-round tie will see him set yet another record to add to his vast collection.
The Serbiansolare, who was spurred on from the side of the court by his new coach Andy Murray, has registered at least one major match win for 21 seasons in his career; only Federer (22) has managed that across more seasons during the Open Era.