Tennis
Djokovic wins his first game in Dubai
(Paris) Novak Djokovic kicked off his season perfectly in Dubai on Monday by beating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the first round for his first match a month after his expulsion from Australia where he was unable to defend his title.
The 34-year-old Serb won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 and in 1:14 after his first game since early December in Dubai, where he is back to defend his threatened place of N. 1 worldwide.
In January, his participation in Melbourne was canceled after a long standoff with the Australian authorities, because he was not vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Entering the center court of the Dubai Duty Free Stadium around 10:15 p.m. local time before the start of the match 15 minutes later, the Serbian champion was greeted to the applause of the public.
The reunion done, he did not take long to get back into the bath of competition, winning the first race in 36 minutes in front of the 58and global. Flags bearing the image of “Djoko” were then waved and “Novak” launched from the stands.
“Thank you very much for your support and the way you welcomed me,” said Djokovic after the match, who could “not choose a better place to start my season”.
The second set was more contested, but Djokovic at 3-2, saved a 4and Break point against the Italian and let his rage to win explode several times, before finally winning again 6-3.
“I have to be happy with my tennis, especially after not playing for almost three months,” he added.
In Dubai, the world No.1 can participate in the tournament, as a coronavirus vaccine is not mandatory to enter the Emirates.
The Serb will face in the second round the winner of the match scheduled for Tuesday between the Russian Karen Khachanov (26and world) and the Australian Alex de Minaur (32and).
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Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.