It would be awfully hard for Novak Djokovic to repeat last year’s success considering he went 70-6, while winning three Grand Slams among his 10 titles in 2011. But the defending U.S. Open champion is playing some of his best tennis right now as he steamrolled to a straight-set victory, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 over Rogerio Dutra Silva yesterday to advance to the Open’s third round.
“Six months without losing a match was incredible,” Djokovic said. “2012 comparing to 2011 isn’t as successful titles-wise but I feel physically better than I did last season. For me, the positive also is knowing that I can play that well.”
Playing in temperatures in excess of 90 degrees, the No. 2 seed Djokovic made quick work of Dutra Silva, winning in an hour and 39 minutes.
“I want to spend as less time as possible on the court,” Djokovic said. “I just want to focus and try to win in straight sets in every match.”
So far, so good. Djokovic has yet to drop a set in his first two matches, losing a total of seven games. He has been broken once in two matches, while committing just 14 unforced errors yesterday. Djokovic, who said, “I played great,” after the match admitted he knew nothing about Dutra Silva and wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Different conditions today obviously from the first match I played in the night session [on Tuesday],” Djokovic said. “I didn’t know much about my opponent. So that could have been a difficulty at the start in order to figure out what his game plan is, but I played well from the start to the end.”
Djokovic has been especially good in the U.S. Open, having made it to the finals the past two years, and at least the semifinals the past five years. Once a villain because of his poor attitude, the Serb has turned into a fan favorite, even getting the crowd going with a little dance on court after the match.
“I love this place. I love the energy and the crowd, so I really want to do well here,” he said.
At 25, Djokovic still has many years left before his career ends, and he said the recent retirement announcement of 30-year-old Andy Roddick surprised him, and would be a big loss for American tennis.
“It is interesting to see. It is a bit surprising,” Djokovic said. “Andy’s situation shows how quickly everything can turn around. I listened to his press conference yesterday and I admired his career. He was one of the greatest competitors around. He made history in our sport and I guess that he felt it’s time to move on to stop playing tennis.”
david.satriano@nypost.com