MELBOURNE, Jan 19: The nine-time champion Novak Djokovic on Thursday survived an injury scare to reach the third round of the Australian Open, beating Frenchman Enzo Couacaud here at Rod Laver Arena, here.
The 35-year-old, struggling with his left leg, edged past Couacaud 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0 in three hours and four minutes. He will lock horns with former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, in the third round.
The Serbian is chasing a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam trophy and reclaims No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings if he wins the title.
As the second set wore on, Djokovic became hampered by his left hamstring injury. Playing with heavy strapping, the fourth seed blanched after stretching for a ball at 4-4, calling for a medical timeout when trailing 4-5.
His movement was clearly compromised and Couacaud took full advantage. When Djokovic let slip the second set in a tie-break, it was unclear how his body would react for the rest of the match. But the Serbian locked in and improved physically, winning 12 of the match’s final 14 games.
“It is expected when you walk on the court as favourite and you play someone on this stage for the first time, of course they are going to go for their shots.You just accept it. I had many opportunities in the second to win it and I didn’t. He pushed it to a third and fourth set and you just have to deal with it,” Djokovic said after the match.
“Sometimes the situations don’t go your way but that is sport. I have been in these situations before, so many times in my life and career, so I think that also helps, the experience of understanding what you need to do in the moment to give your best,” he added.
Djokovic now holds a 7-0 record on the season, having captured his 92nd tour-level title in Adelaide earlier this month. It was at the ATP 250, where the Serb hurt his leg in the semifinals against Daniil Medvedev.
What’s next for Nadal
This is hardly the first time Rafael Nadal’s body has betrayed him. What no one, not even the 22-time Grand Slam champion himself can possibly pinpoint accurately is what comes next.
First things first: An MRI exam on Thursday showed that Nadal injured his left hip flexor during a 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 loss to 65th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald in the Australian Open’s second round a day earlier. He is expected to need up to eight weeks for a full recovery. Nadal turns 37 in 4 1/2 months. The wear and tear produced by his punishing brand of play each-point-as-if-it-might-be-the-last is undeniable. So, perhaps, is the psychological toll of the work it takes to be able to compete at the level to which he has grown accustomed. “It’s a tough moment. It’s a tough day,” he said. “I can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this moment, because I would be lying.”
Nadal explained that his left hip was so bad Wednesday, he couldn’t hit a backhand or run much at all. He considered quitting but played on because he was the reigning champion.
Sania-Anna pair advance
Playing in her last Grand Slam tournament, India’s ace tennis player Sania Mirza started her Australian Open campaign with a women’s doubles first-round win, partnering with Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina here on Thursday. The Indo-Kazakh pair defeated Ukrainian-Belgian pair Anhelina Kalinina and Alison Van Uytvanck 6-2, 7-5. Sania and Anna will face the Ukrainian-Belgian duo of Anhelina Kalinina and Alison Van Uytvanck in the second round on Friday.
The former world No. 1 women’s doubles player had earlier this month announced that she will retire from professional tennis at Dubai Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 event, which begins on February 19.
Sania has six major titles three in doubles and three in mixed doubles with her maiden triumph coming in 2009.Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni lost to 14th seeds John Peers of Australia and Andrea Mies of Germany. Another men’s pair Ramkumar Ramanathan and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela suffered a 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 loss at the hands of Greek pair Stefanos Tsitsipas and his brother Petros. (Agencies)
