Izuchukwu OkosiWorld number one Novak Djokovic on Wednesday defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 over three hours and 11 minutes to progress to the second round of the 2024 Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena.
The match was billed as “Novak Djokovic vs the Crowd” and the world No. 1 showed his mettle having won 10 Australian Open titles coming into this year’s event.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelDjokovic began the contest in dominant fashion but Popyrin produced an inspired second set and bravely held four set points in the pivotal third set.
“Again, another very close match that was decided in that third set, like the first round,” Djokovic said in the post-match interview.
“He had the three set points. He had a sitting forehand that he missed in 30-40. Then I played a solid tiebreak.
“He dropped his level a bit. I felt it. Momentum shifted to my side. I broke his serve and held my serve until the end of the match.
“Can I be satisfied? I can be satisfied with the win. With my tennis, not so much,” the star who had a running battle with the officials during the Covid 19 pandemic for not accepting to go through the medical examination and possible treatment.
Djokovic suffered from a cramp midway into the game much like it happened to Carlos Alcaraz during his 2023 Roland Garros semifinal against Djokovic himself.
Djokovic struggled for some spells in the course of the game
as he had a pain in his wrist but overcame the challenge eventually
“Game-wise I was quite flat for some part of the match, end of second set, most of the third set,” he told the press afterward.
“Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit and start to find the kind of intensity on the court that I needed to have all match.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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