– He was the better player in a set and a half. To be honest, I saw him play for the first time three, four days ago and it’s always difficult against an opponent who has nothing to lose, Djokovic told the organizer of Eurosport’s broadcast.
When 19-year-old Basavareddy, who had already had two knee operations, lost the second set, he limped precariously and received treatment on his left knee. The American was able to play on without visible problems, but finally fell clear 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 2-6.
At 1-6 in the fourth set, Basavareddy tore down the applause at Rod Laver Arena after saving two match points. He saved one more in the final game before it was over after a serve ace from the world number seven.
37-year-old Djokovic won with his new coach Andy Murray in his box for the first time.
Decided as a six-year-old
When Basavareddy was six years old, he watched the 2012 Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, a drama that took five hours and 53 minutes to play before Djokovic was able to lift the trophy, one of his 10 Grand Slam titles.
When Djokovic was told that Basavareddy has pictures of him, he was embarrassed.
– I don’t know what to say about that. But I have to thank you for the appreciation, he is a nice guy and still a teenager. He handled the situation very well and we will hear a lot from him, says Djokovic.
Even then as a toddler in Carmel, outside of Indianapolis, he got an insight into the mental strength required to win at the very highest level and began picking parts from different players to shape his own game.
– But my favorite player has always been Novak Djokovic, Basavareddy told Reuters.
Turned pro a couple of weeks ago
He started last year ranked 457th and made the leap from Stanford University to the ATP tour as recently as a couple of weeks ago and after the first ATP semi-final in Auckland last week is ranked a career-high 107th in the world – got a wildcard to the Australian Open.
With both parents born in India, Basavareddy is also a rising star in the world’s most populous country.
His childhood trips to relatives in Hyderabad and Nellore created the cultural identity, according to the Times of India.