THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Always eager to entertain U.S. Open fans with more than his tennis skills, Novak Djokovic dusted off some dance moves this time.
Djokovic cut a rug on court while music blared over the Arthur Ashe Stadium loudspeakers after he improved to 60-2 in 2011 by beating 39th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 Saturday night to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
"I try to always bring the positive energy to the people, because I know they’re paying (for) tickets to come and watch all of us. So you need to give them something in return," Djokovic explained.
"Obviously, you’re playing your best, playing tennis," he said. "But still, it’s nice to have some interaction with your fans. It’s really important. So I’m trying to do that."
During his post-match interview on court, the top-seeded Djokovic decided to change the subject and make note of someone in the stands who’d been grooving to songs played during changeovers — something that doesn’t happen at Wimbledon, for example.
"Need to congratulate the dancer up there. He was amazing. Let’s just talk about him. … Leave tennis aside. You, man, you can dance. Really. Unbelievable," Djokovic said.
And that’s when the 24-year-old Serb requested some music so he could dance a bit, too.
"I didn’t know what I was doing, really," Djokovic said later. "I was just moving all over."
It’s the sort of extroverted display that Djokovic has engaged in during past U.S. Opens.
After one match, he demonstrated his spot-on impersonations of other top players, including Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal. After another, he played some points for fun with seven-time major champion John McEnroe.
"A New York crowd, especially in the night matches, is very special. They really get involved. They have a lot of fun. They’re very loud," Djokovic said. "Every Grand Slam has something special about it. Wimbledon is very quiet. … Here it’s all about entertainment."
Djokovic is nothing but serious when it comes to his tennis, though. Especially this season.
He is trying to win his third Grand Slam championship of the year — after Wimbledon and the Australian Open — and the fourth of his career. Also, he’s seeking his first title at the U.S. Open, where he was the runner-up to Roger Federer in 2007 and to Nadal last year.
"I know most people expect top players to get to the late stages of the tournament, so there’s extra pressure on us," Djokovic said. "But it’s a challenge we’re ready to accept. This is what we work all our lives for, to be on this court."
Davydenko is a four-time major semifinalist, including twice at the U.S. Open, but he wasn’t able to provide too much resistance against Djokovic.
"Today, he was not only better physically but had the better concentration," Davydenko said. "He fought better."
Next up for Djokovic is a match against 22nd-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, who eliminated Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.
"Now we are in the second week," Djokovic said, "and we are expecting tough matches."