Dominant Djokovic Dismisses Dzumhur In Doha

It might be a new year, but Damir Dzumhur had to deal with the same Novak Djokovic on Tuesday in Doha. World No. 1 Djokovic picked up where he left off at the end of the 2018 season, beating Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 in just 55 minutes to reach the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

The top seed has won 11 consecutive matches at the season-opening event — having lifted the trophy in 2016 and 2017 — and he is now 13-1 overall at the ATP 250 tournament. Djokovic will next face 2018 Geneva champion Marton Fucsovics for a spot in the quarter-finals.

“To start off the tournament as I have tonight obviously makes me very, very confident and also very happy,” Djokovic said. “First day of the new year, I want to wish everyone a happy new year, lots of good emotions and lots of good tennis.”

Djokovic is riding a tidal wave of momentum into 2019, having climbed from No. 22 in the ATP Rankings last June to his fifth year-end No. 1 finish, winning 35 of his final 38 matches on the year. During that stretch, the Serbian triumphed at Wimbledon, completed his Career Golden Masters in Cincinnati, and lifted the trophy at the US Open. In his final eight tournaments of the year, he failed to reach the final just once (Toronto).

And if his first match of the new campaign is any indicator, Djokovic is still trending upwards. Dzumhur, a three-time ATP Tour titlist, is one of the most consistent players on the circuit, using his speed to make ball after ball and force his opponents into making mistakes. But Djokovic was locked in from the first ball, redirecting shots side to side from the baseline, frustrating the World No. 47 throughout their encounter. It was as if he was suffocating Dzumhur, pushing him well behind the baseline and forcing the Bosnian to go for more than he wanted to or risk being dominated from the back of the court. 

Djokovic won an impressive 77 per cent of second-serve return points, taking the offensive immediately. The top seed also took care of his serve, not facing a break point in the match.

Djokovic’s next opponent, Fucsovics, beat Marius Copil 6-3, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The Hungarian saved all eight break points he faced to defeat the Romanian, whom he broke four times.

Did You Know?
Djokovic is approaching two different milestones in 2019. The Serbian is now just 13 match wins from reaching 850 at tour-level in his career. The World No. 1 is also just four titles from reaching No. 75.