Two and a half months after his last appearance on the slopes and after what happened at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic returned to competition in dubai tournament with a solid victory against the promising player Italian 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 of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium was invaded by the sequels still present of everything that the Serbian has generated outside the competition. The refusal to be vaccinated, the commotion in Melbourne, the prohibition to dispute the first big of the year and an uncertain future, conditioned by the sanitary demands of each place and by its particular position.
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 Daniel Medvedev attentive, 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, if 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. He had not played Nole since last December 3, when he played the last game of the semifinals of the Davis cup against croat 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.
Djokovic accused the inactivity at times, who carried out the first-round duel with solvency against a dangerous opponent whom he was facing for the first time on a hard court but with whom he had played in Roland Garroson land, in 2021. The Serbian tennis player suffered that timewho suddenly found himself two sets down that he came to balance before the 19-year-old from Alps decided to leave the match exhausted by the effort.
Musetti is one of the referents of the NextGen. A rising value. Still without titles but with relevant matches. Uncomfortable for the rival. With 19 years, He did not take advantage of his rival’s doubts at certain times. He had several chances to break Djokovic’s serve, but was unable to.
It was on serve that the Balkan was more solid and got him out of more than one jam. It served Djokovic by keeping the advantage he got with breaks in each of the sets to win the match and defend against the reaction of the Italian.
The number one in the world passed with flying colors his return to advance to the second round, in which the winner of the match between the Olympic champion, the Russian Karen Khachanovand the Australian Alex de Minaur.
Other parties
The British also made it through the first round of the tournament AndyMurray. The 2017 champion needed three sets to eliminate the Australian Christopher O’Connell, which came from the previous one, by 6-7 (4), 6-3 and 7-5. The Scotsman will face the winner of the clash between the Spanish Alexander Davidovich and the italian Jannik Sinner, fourth favourite.
the czech Jiri Vesely he left the Croatian on the way Marin Cilic by winning 6-4 and 7-6 (3), and can be the rival of the Spanish Robert Baptisteighth favorite and who won on this stage in 2018, or the French Arthur Rinderknech.
the serbian Filip Krajinovic he 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 karatsevseventh favorite, and the American Mackenzie McDonald.
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 Martin Fucsovics and the canadian Denis Shapovalovsixth favourite. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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