World number one Novak Djokovic admitted he feels for those US Open fans who feel his ruthless blitz through the tournament may have left them feeling short-changed.
Top seed Djokovic took 90 minutes to brush aside Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round.
In his opening clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, he was on show for just 45 minutes when Irish opponent Conor Niland retired with illness, trailing 6-0, 5-1.
“One of the guys actually on the way out said: ‘Hey, listen, I paid 100 bucks. You’re staying an hour and a half on the court. That’s a lot to pay for a ticket,” said Djokovic.
“Give me something so I get back home with a happy face. Give me a racquet or something.
“I played good tennis. Obviously I wanted to win but on the other hand we all try to engage the crowd. I think the crowd got engaged in the third set. It was a lot of entertainment.”
Djokovic even treated the crowd to a between-the-leg shot to reach match point and admitted that the win, which took his 2011 record to 59 wins against two losses, was virtually perfect.
“I could not play better. I was getting a lot of balls back. I felt fantastic on the court. And there is not much I can say when everything seems fun and seems enjoyable when you’re playing such good tennis.”
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