2024-04-10 16:27:37
Novak Djokovic started the extremely demanding task of defending the post of world number one against Jannik Sinner in the clay part of the season in Monte Carlo with a superb performance. Perhaps a bigger challenge than the Russian Roman Safiullin on the court was prepared for him by a journalist at a press conference.
Watch a clip of Novak Djokovic’s first match in Monte Carlo. | Video: Associated Press
The best tennis player in history did not arrive in Monaco in the best mood. After the disappointment at the Australian Open, he failed in Indian Wells, where he finished already in the third round after a shocking defeat to the player of the second world hundred, Luca Nardi. In Monte Carlo, however, he initially showed that he can again become a threat to all opponents on clay.
However, Safiullin, the 41st player in the world, was not to be an easy bite, given that he won both of his previous duels against players from the elite five rankings: last year he surprised both Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
But now he had no chance. Djokovic outclassed him 6:1, 6:2 in 71 minutes, while he was able to earn at least one break point in every return game and lost only six fifteens on serve in the entire match.
In the round of 16, Djokovic will have revenge for last year, when he lost to Lorenzo Musetti at this stage. He will now challenge the young Italian again, which apparently led one of the journalists to ask about Djokovic’s potential phobia of Italian players.
He has lost three of the last four duels with current world number two Jannik Sinner, and there has already been talk of a surprising collapse against Nardi in California.
“Are you afraid of Italians?” said the question.
The champion’s response surprised fans, as can be seen from the reactions on social networks. While supporters of the Serbian tennis player and many neutrals considered the question bizarre, there was no hint of outrage from Djokovic.
The winner of twenty-four Grand Slam titles reacted with absolute icy calmness.
“I’m not afraid of anything and no one,” he emphasized at the beginning and began to praise Musetti.
“I’m looking forward to playing him again. He’s one of the most talented players on clay. He has a beautiful one-handed backhand, he’s very athletic, he can do a lot of great things. He’s a big promise, not just for Italy, but for all of tennis in general.” he talked about the twenty-two-year-old opponent, who is ranked 24th in the ATP rankings.
For Djokovic, the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo is the first tournament after ending a five-year fruitful collaboration with coach Goran Ivanišević.
Earlier this week, the Serb surpassed Roger Federer’s record to become the oldest world number one in history. But his position on the throne is in jeopardy, because the second Sinner defends much fewer points in the clay part of the season.
However, Djokovic was excited by his own performance in the first clay match and did not deny that it was probably his best game in the current season.
“My feeling was great, in this tournament I was always more like fighting with myself. But it’s only one match,” the 36-year-old champion did not want to draw any conclusions.
He praised the just-started collaboration with coach Nenad Zimonjic, former world number one in doubles.
“Those two or three weeks of training are paying off a lot. We spent a lot of hours thinking about the game, the movement and the things that didn’t work for me at the beginning of this season,” said Djokovic.