Novak Djokovic: Being in the conversation with Rod Laver is an honour

Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Tallon Griekspoor during his second round match of the US Open at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Thursday. PIC/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic says being mentioned in the same breath with Rod Laver and battling Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have energised his quest to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam.

Five wins away from history

World No. 1 Djokovic advanced to the third round of the US Open on Thursday, putting him five match wins shy of completing the first men's singles calendar-year Grand Slam since Australian legend Laver in 1969.

The Serbian, 34, cruised past 121st-ranked Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to book a third-round date with 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori of Japan. "Being only in the conversation with Rod Laver... is really an honour. I try to draw strength and energy from that," Djokovic said. "With history on the line, the excitement grows, pressure grows, but experience and understanding of what I have to do on a daily basis to reach the goal allows me to stay in the tournament, so to say."

Djokovic has already owned all four Slam titles at once after winning the 2016 French Open and said that was the moment he felt a calendar Slam was possible. "That's where I felt this is achievable, it's reachable, I could do it in one year," he said, noting how Federer and Nadal had come close and adding, "Their dominance on the tour made me the player I am today."

Zverev, Barty triumph

Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and top-ranked Ashleigh Barty rolled into the third round on Thursday while New York struggled to recover from a deadly storm and flash flooding. Barty dispatched Danish teen Clara Tauson 6-1, 7-5 and German fourth seed Zverev ripped 33rd-ranked Spanish left-hander Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.

Also read: Novak Djokovic: It wasn't one of my best performances

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