Two and a half months after his last appearance on the courts and after what happened at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic returned to competition in the Dubai tournament with a solid victory against the promising Italian player Lorenzo Musetti (6-3 and 6-3).
It took the five-time Dubai champion an hour and a quarter to settle his first match of 2022 and progress through the main draw of an event he has made his own five times, most recently two seasons ago.
The atmosphere in Dubai on the return of Djokovic
The atmosphere of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium was invaded by the still present sequels of everything that the Serbian has generated outside the competition. The refusal to get vaccinated, the commotion in Melbourne, the ban on playing the first big of the year and an uncertain future, conditioned by the health requirements of each place and by its particular position.
(Also read: Was there a fight in the Colombian National Team? James Rodríguez broke the silence)
Inoculation against covid is not mandatory in the United Arab Emirates. Only one PCR test seventy-two hours before arrival. A regulation that Djokovic was able to deal with without problems to get into circulation on the circuit.
The still number one in the world, a condition that is at stake at the same time in Dubai and Acapulco, with the candidate Daniil Medvedev attentive, is aware of the situation. The tension, especially at the beginning, was reflected in a face that could not hide an affected state of mind.
He was stiff at the start. It was hard for him to put aside the feeling of being watched, of being judged. A feeling that has dragged on since he decided to deal with Australia’s regulations last January. Price of any media leader.
The passage of points and games relieved the Balkan, who was firm in many moments, competitive as always and sometimes imprecise. Few.
Nole had not played since last December 3, when he played the last match of the Davis Cup semifinals against the Croatian Marin Cilic. On the circuit, his last presence is more distant. In November. Since the ATP Finals, when he fell against the German Alexander Zverev. He at times accused Djokovic of inactivity, who successfully carried out the first-round duel against a dangerous opponent whom he was facing for the first time on a hard court but with whom he had played at Roland Garros, on clay, in 2021.
The tennis player from Serbia suffered that time, who suddenly found himself with two sets of disadvantage that he came to balance before the 19-year-old from Alps decided to get out of the match exhausted by the effort.
Musetti is one of the benchmarks of the ‘Next Gen’. A rising value. Still without titles but with relevant matches. Uncomfortable for the rival. At 19 years old, he did not take advantage of his rival’s doubts at certain times.
(Also: Terrifying plane landing attempt involving Manchester City)
He had several chances to break Djokovic’s serve, but was unable to. He was in the service in which the Balkan was more solid and got him out of more than one trouble. He served Djokovic by keeping the advantage he gained with breaks in each of the sets to win the match and fend off the Italian’s reaction.
The world number one surpassed his return with flying colors to advance to the second round, in which the winner of the match between the Olympic champion, the Russian Karen Khachanov, and the Australian Alex de Miñaur awaits him.
Other results of the day in Dubai
Briton Andy Murray also made it through the first round of the tournament. The 2017 champion needed three sets to eliminate Australian Christopher O’Connell, who came from qualifying, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5.
The Scotsman will face the winner of the clash between the Spanish Alejandro Davidovich and the Italian Jannik Sinner, fourth favorite.
The Czech Jiri Vesely left the Croatian Marin Cilic on the road by winning 6-4 and 7-6 (3), and he could be the rival of the Spanish Roberto Bautista, eighth favorite and who won on this stage in 2018, or the French Arthur Rinderknech.
The Serbian Filip Krajinovic needed all three sets to eliminate the Tunisian Malej Jaziri (6-7 (4), 6-2 and 6-4) and wait for the outcome of the clash between the current tournament winner, the Russian Aslan Karatsev, seventh seed , and the American Mackenzie McDonald.
(In other news: Anti-record: three own goals by the same player in one match!)
The opening session of the Dubai tournament was completed with the classification of the Japanese Taro Daniel at the expense of the Belgian David Goffin (6-3 and 7-6(5)). His next opponent will come from the duel between the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics and the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, sixth seed.
SPORTS
with Eph
#Novak #Djokovic #achieved #triumph #scandal #Australia