Australian Open: How Novak Djokovic secured ‘crazy’ third-round win over Botic van de Zandschulp: From ‘locked in’ to ‘nearly hitting a ball kid’

TNT Sports expert Tim Henman admitted Novak Djokovic could have been in trouble against Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round of the Australian Open had it gone to a fourth set. The Serbian was in control early but had a wobble towards the end of the second set and nearly struck a ball kid in frustration. He then faced two set points in the third but saved them both to prevail.

Highlights: Frustrated Djokovic overcomes Van de Zandschulp to reach fourth round

Video credit: TNT Sports

Both sides of Novak Djokovic’s game were on display during his straight-sets win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round of the Australian Open.

There was the early brilliance as the 10-time champion in Melbourne raced a set and a break ahead before he lost his cool and came close to potential disqualification.

After a medical timeout at 3-0 down in the second set appeared to re-energise his opponent, Djokovic swiped a ball away in dismay at 4-2 and nearly struck a ball girl in a scene that sparked memories of his 2020 US Open disqualification for hitting a line judge.

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He escaped that brush with disaster to move two sets clear but then got himself embroiled in a back and forth with the crowd in the third as Van de Zandschulp threatened to hit back and extend the contest.

The Dutchman had two set points at 5-6 but failed to convert before Djokovic dug deep to silence the crowd and seal a 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) victory.

It was, ultimately, a good win against a dangerous opponent, but with the sterner challenges to come, such lulls could yet prove costly in his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic got 'frustrated and distracted' as he 'does well to get out' says Henman

Video credit: TNT Sports

Reacting after the match, TNT Sports expert Tim Henman admitted Djokovic could have found himself in trouble had it gone into a fourth set.

"I think Van de Zandschulp is a really quality, dangerous opponent," Henman said. "We’ve seen him beat the best in the world and when you reflect on the first 12 games, 6-3 3-0 [with] two breaks you’re thinking, ‘Wow, this is Djokovic absolutely locked in’. His level of play was absolutely excellent, [he was] hitting his spots on serve and was so aggressive from the back of the court.

"And then all of a sudden, it was after Van de Zandschulp had the injury timeout. There was a bit of a delay and then he [Djokovic] lost his serve and then suddenly he got frustrated, he was distracted. His concentration was not how it had been, he very nearly hit a ball kid, which was crazy, and life got a little bit more difficult.

"The third set was pretty nip and tuck; he was behind in the service games at 4-5 and 5-6 [but] got into a tie-break. If it had gone four sets, it would have been challenging, but he’s done well to get out in three."

Once the dust had settled, Djokovic was asked about the incident with the ball girl and admitted he was "lucky" it didn't have a more serious outcome.

"Yeah, I apologised for that." Djokovic said. "That was not necessary and in the heat of the moment. I was lucky there, and I'm sorry for causing any distress to the ball kid or anybody."

In the end, it was a 400th win at the Grand Slam level for Djokovic, making him the first player in history to reach that milestone. It was also a 102nd match victory at the Australian Open, drawing him level with Roger Federer.

But even with all that experience, Djokovic admitted he lost concentration with his opponent’s early struggles and nearly paid the price.

"It was a pretty good treatment [for van de Zandschulp] I have to say," Djokovic joked during his on-court interview. "It gave him a lot of firepower. He was serving extremely well from that moment onwards.

"I think at the beginning of the second he did struggle with his arm and I could see the km/h went down a little bit so I had more looks on his first and second serves, but then tables turned and I must say that I relaxed too much and was in trouble to close out the second set.

Djokovic 'was in trouble' and overcame 'ugly' fall and blisters in victory

Video credit: TNT Sports

"Pretty much from that moment on it was anybody’s game.

"Really lucky to get out of the trouble on the set point in the third, he had the upper hand in that point, but things happen so quickly in this sport. One shot can really determine the winner, so just glad to overcome it in straight sets."

Up next for Djokovic is a meeting with 16th seed Jakub Mensik, while a potential semi-final against defending champion Jannik Sinner is still looming large.

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