New blue surface still a problem, says Djokovic
Novak Djokovic needed three sets to win his first match on the blue clay at the Madrid Open yesterday, and then stepped up his criticism of the new surface.
Djokovic laboured to a 6-2 2-6 6-3 victory over Daniel GimenoTraver, of Spain, in his debut on the Magic Box’s unorthodox surface, after top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova both beat Czech opponents to advance in the women’s event.
Djokovic, who had already voiced his opposition to the blue clay, was fuming over the condition of the centre court which, he said, was completely different to the practice courts he trained on before the event.
‘‘To me that’s not tennis. Either I come out with football shoes or I invite Chuck Norris to advise me how to play on this court,’’ said Djokovic, who like Rafael Nadal has been critical of the new-look surface. ‘‘Centre court is impossible to move on. I hit five balls throughout the whole match. With everything else, I was just trying to keep the ball in the court.’’
The ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) reiterated the new surface was in a test period this year and that a decision on whether to use it again would be made after this event.
The defending champion was cruising until the second set when his 137th-ranked Spanish opponent broke for 2-1.
Djokovic then made four straight unforced errors in his next service game – including two double faults – to go down 4-1.
Djokovic complained about the surface throughout but managed to get his emotions in check, and his game together, to take a decisive 4-2 lead in the third set before sealing his 25th match win of the season. ‘‘When you slide on the red clay you have a feeling you can stop and recover from that step.
‘‘But here, whatever you do . . . you are always slipping,’’ said Djokovic, who hit 20 winners to 24 unforced errors.
‘‘Not a single player – not woman not man – I didn’t hear anyone say: I like blue clay.’’
The women’s top two overcame dips in concentration to put away mistake-prone opponents.
Azarenka held off Andrea Hlavackova’s challenge to win 6-3 7-6 (2) after Sharapova beat Klara Zakopalova 6-4 6-3. Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams will meet in the last 16 after both won their second-round matches. Wozniacki beat Mona Barthel of Germany 6-4 7-6 (2) while Williams was a 6-2 6-1 winner over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
Azarenka has already won four titles this year, including the Australian Open, but showed less convincing form on the blue surface.
‘‘I felt like I lost a little bit of my concentration,’’ Azarenka said.
‘‘I didn’t adjust well to some of the obstacles that happened but I’m glad that I could turn it around pretty quickly and finish the match in my favour.’’
Hlavackova needed treatment on her left thigh late in the second set before her eventual loss.
Azarenka plays Ana Ivanovic in the third round after the Serbian beat Nadia Petrova 7-5 6-1 in an earlier match on Tuesday.
Sharapova was more convincing in her second-round match, as Zakopalova’s erratic serve opened her up to Sharapova’s solid ground strokes. In men’s play, Jurgen Melzer rallied to beat Feliciano Lopez 3-6 7-6 (6) 6-4, the first seeded player to exit.
However, seeded players Tomas Berdych, Gilles Simon, Juan Martin del Potro, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Fernando Verdasco all advanced.
Hard-hitting Canadian player Milos Raonic beat Argentina’s David Nalbandian 6-4 6-4 to set up a date with Roger Federer when Nadal debuts on the blue clay against Nikolay Davydenko.