MADRID — Novak Djokovic feels that the hard work is starting to pay off.
Trying to regain his best form after a slow start to the season, Djokovic looked strong in his first match at the Madrid Open on Tuesday, defeating Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to advance to a third-round match against Andy Murray. .
“I would probably rate it as the best performance of the year. I felt really good on the court,” the world’s best Djokovic said after saving all five break points he faced and converting the three he had against the world-21 Frenchman. .
It was the Serb’s 18th consecutive victory over Monfils. The match was interrupted at 2-2 in the first set when rain forced the roof of the central court to close.
“Overall, very, very good performance,” he said. “I’m very happy, considering, you know, to this day I wasn’t playing my best tennis in the few tournaments I’ve played this year and I’m still finding my rhythm, finding my rhythm.”
Djokovic arrived in Madrid with a record of 5-3 in the three tournaments he played. He had needed three sets in each of his last three wins this season, all in Serbia before losing the final there to Andrey Rublev.
“I had a week, 10 days to prepare for this match and for this tournament,” he said. “I did my best to develop my fitness and also improve in all aspects of the game, on the court.”
Djokovic played in only one hard court tournament after he was not allowed to participate in the Australian Open due to his vaccination status. He lost to Jiri Vesely in the Dubai quarterfinals.
He also lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his first match in Monte Carlo, which was his only other clay tournament this season.
“I am very happy that it was worth it, because I felt good on the court,” he said. “It’s the right process, and it’s the right direction.”
Djokovic, a three-time winner in Madrid, now faces Murray, a two-time champion in Madrid who continued his last comeback with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Denis Shapovalov. Murray, a former No. 1 player who had hip surgeries in recent years, won his first match on clay in nearly two years on Monday.
Teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz kept up his hot streak with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili, staying on track for a quarter-final meeting with idol Rafael Nadal. Nadal, the third seed, opens on Wednesday against Miomir Kecmanovic.
Earlier, Rublev reached the third round after winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 over 20-year-old Jack Draper of Great Britain.
Rublev, ranked eighth, is seeking his first Masters 1000 title. Victory in Serbia last month added to his titles in Dubai and Marseille. Only Nadal and Alcaraz have also won three titles this season.
Marin Cilic defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, while Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jenson Brooksby lost their first-round matches in straight sets. Tiafoe lost to Cristian Garin 6-1, 6-3 and Brooksby lost to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-0, 6-2.
In an all-American match, Sebastian Korda defeated Reilly Opelka 6-3, 7-5.
In the women’s draw, American Jessica Pegula defeated Bianca Andreescu 7-5, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal match with Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, who edged out Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to reach his third place. WTA 1000 quarterfinals.
Jil Teichmann advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating 16th seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-1. She will face Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, who defeated reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Raducanu said she has annoyed him a back problem.
Reference-www.espn.com