Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts during the second set of his fourth round match against Roberto Bautista Agut, of Spain, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015. AP
NEW YORK, United States — Tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic is into his 26th straight major quarterfinal after a hard-fought victory over Roberto Bautista Agut at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic dropped a set for the first time this tournament, and the 23rd-seeded Spaniard made him work throughout the 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win Sunday night.
Bautista Agut, who has never reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal, was down a break in the second set. But he won the last four games to pull even, running down every shot, ripping big forehands and leaving Djokovic to stomp on his racket in disgust.
The nine-time major champ responded by raising his level to close out the match in four sets. He next faces 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez. CB