He will next take on familiar foe Kei Nishikori in the third round of the tournament on Saturday. Novak Djokovic has a lopsided 17-2 head-to-head record against the Japanese, with his last defeat coming at this very tournament all the way back in 2014.
Many attribute Djokovic’s superiority in the rivalry to the fact that he can do everything Nishikori can, but better. Speaking after his own five-set win over Mackenzie Mcdonald, the Japanese listed the attributes that make Djokovic such a tough opponent.
Nishikori’s 2014 win over Djokovic in the US Open semifinals is widely considered the most significant result of his career. The 31-year-old reminisced about that match on Thursday, calling it one of his best ever matches.
Nishikori went on to add that the key to defeating the Serb is a mixture of aggression and patience.
“I love the challenge” - Kei Nishikori ahead of his encounter against Novak Djokovic
During the course of the press conference, Kei Nishikori also claimed that while he “loves the challenge” of going up against Novak Djokovic, he would rather go up against someone ranked lower.
Later during the press conference, Nishikori also agreed with a reporter that Novak Djokovic’s bid would put additional pressure on the Serb, and that he could take advantage of that.
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