Novak Djokovic is having a hard time climbing his way up to whay would be his eleventh Australian Open, and 25th Grand Slam. On Monday, he was put to work by 107th-ranked Basavareddy, loosing his first sets. On Wednesday, round 2, he also won the match after four sets, against Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2.
Faria, only 21 years old, is nº125 in the ATP ranking, but took Djokovic to a tie-break in the second set. But Djokovic's victory not only secures his place in the next round, but also marks a major milestone: he has passed Roger Federer as the player with most major singles matches played, among men and women: 430 games.
"I love this sport. I love competition. I try to give my best every single time. It's been over 20 years that I've been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level. Whether I win or lose one thing is for sure: I'll always leave my heart out on the court", the Serbian said.
If Djokovic ends up winning in Australia, he not only would become the player with more Grand Slam (25, one more than Maraget Court), but also would be the oldest player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title. The record currently belongs to Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open at the age of 37 years and 62 days (Djokovic will be 37 years and 249 days old on January 26, the day of the final).