Djokovic picks row with umpire after Goffin rout
london — Defending champion Novak Djokovic trounced stand-in David Goffin 6-1 6-2 for a clean sweep of his group at the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday but still looked far from happy as he picked a row with the chair umpire.
Belgium’s Goffin pocketed $179,000 for his brief appearance, courtesy of an injury that forced Gael Monfils to withdraw on Wednesday, earning almost $60,000 for each game he won in a no-contest lasting 69 minutes.
It was poor value for the O2 Arena crowd and nothing more than a gentle workout for Djokovic who did his best to enliven the flat atmosphere by having a lively exchange of views with umpire Fergus Murphy after being given a time violation.
Djokovic, who had already won the group after wins over Dominic Thiem and Milos Raonic, was given the warning for going over the 25-second time limit while serving at 3-1. “You have no clue about the game,” a irate Djokovic told Murphy at the changeover before turning to continue the debate with tournament director Tom Barnes.
It was not the first time Djokovic has been involved in an altercation in this week’s Tour Finals after he slammed a ball into the crowd during his match against Dominic Thiem and then had a tetchy exchange with a journalist about the incident. Djokovic’s angst has come to the fore at a time when he has been mired in a prolonged slump that saw him lose the number one ranking to Andy Murray amid rumours about problems in his private life.
Insisting he remains in control of his emotions, Djokovic said: “Look, we are all humans. Every single day we face some certain kind of challenges, mental challenges, private, professional life, emotions, thoughts. Certainly there are stages of the year or of the day, moments when you feel worse, and you feel better. The important thing is to be conscious of it and just deal with it in a best possible way that works for you.”
Djokovic, whose year has tailed off since he claimed the French Open in June and was usurped as world number one by Andy Murray last week, has been prickly in London and argued with a reporter during a news conference on Sunday. The Serb, who could snatch back the world number one ranking from Murray if he wins a fifth successive title in London, did not let the flare-up effect his progress and broke for the second time in the next game.
Djokovic will face the runnerup of the John McEnroe group in the semifinals, be it Murray, Kei Nishikori or Stan Wawrinka. That group will be decided on Friday. — Agencies