Djokovic at peace again on the grass
LESS than a fortnight after Novak Djokovic raged out of Roland Garros, threatening not to play at Wimbledon, the Serb was a picture of calm as he opened his grass-court season yesterday.
Djokovic swapped his tennis shoes for hiking boots in the intervening period and the break clearly worked wonders as he demolished John Millman 6-2 6-1 in the first round of the Queen’s Club championships.
The 31-year-old took a late wildcard into the tournament he last contested in 2010 and looked glad to be there as he produced a dazzling display in the centre court sunshine in front of an appreciative crowd.
A greater test of his form, and the elbow that has troubled him throughout the past year and a half and required surgery, will come in the next round against second seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Asked how he had got a galling quarter-final loss to Italian outsider Marco Cecchinato at the French Open out of his system, Monaco-based Djokovic said some tranquillity was the key – and leaving his two children at home.
“It was hiking with my wife with no kids for five days, if you really want to know,” he told reporters. “It was a wonderful time after two years with not having a break, only with her without kids, so we managed to do that.
“We were very far away from any tennis court, in nature, and it was the best way to clear the mind and just also have a possibility to slow down.”
Djokovic, whose career has stalled since he won his 12th grand slam title at the 2016 French Open, has been battling to return to his best with mixed results.
But there were signs at the French Open, and against Millman yesterday, that the spark is returning.
“I can’t really talk about too many negatives. Today, I mean, everything, the focus was there, right intensity every shot. Every shot was working really beautifully,” he said.
Djokovic was barely able to speak after his loss to Cecchinato – but was more forthcoming yesterday as he looked back on that loss.
“Considering the circumstances that I was in in the last 12 months, that kind of match loss hurt a lot, because I thought I had a really fair chance to get at least a step further,” he said. “I was starting to play really well.”
His demeanour spoke of a player determined to start carving out some statement wins in the next few weeks as he eyes Wimbledon, scene of three of his grand slam titles.
“It’s quite important,” he said of the Dimitrov match. “He’s one of the best players in the world and loves grass.”
Meanwhile, defending champion Roger Federer continued his fine run on grass ahead of Wimbledon with a 6-3 6-4 win over Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene in the opening round of the Halle Open yesterday, while second-seeded Alexander Zverev suffered an early exit.
The 36-year-old Swiss, who reclaimed the number one ranking by winning the Stuttgart title last week, broke his 72nd ranked opponent in the second game and maintained the advantage to claim the first set.
Federer dropped just eight points on his serve and was hardly troubled in a one-sided contest as he converted a decisive break point in the ninth game of the second set to march to victory.
World number three Zverev began his grass-court campaign with a disappointing 6-1 6-4 defeat by Croatian Borna Coric. – Reuters