After being expelled from Australia for refusing to get vaccinated against Corona and not taking part in the last Grand Slam of 2021, Novak Djokovic returned yesterday (Sunday) to play tennis for the first time since the storm.
The world-ranked Serb opened 2022 with a 3-6, 3-6 victory over Italian Lorenzo Mozetti (58), and easily advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dubai tournament.
"In the end, it's a smooth win in two sets so I have to be happy with the tennis I played, especially after not playing for two and a half to three months," Djokovic said after the game.
"Of course there were moments when I played excellent tennis, and there were also moments where I made some uncommitted mistakes in a row that was not typical of me. But it's normal for that to happen in the first game after a long time."
Djokovic added: "I'm glad I was able to do the job without dropping a battle against a very talented player from Italy, who holds many qualities. He probably didn't have much to lose, and because of the winds it was a bit tricky to play. But in the end, it was A very good experience for me tonight. "
Couldn't have asked for a better reception back on court 🙏🏼 #DDFTennis #NoleFam
📸: Karim Sahib pic.twitter.com/fEhcyYBCfD
- Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) February 21, 2022
Djokovic should continue his strong performance this week to give himself the best chance of retaining first place in the ATP rankings, which is under threat from Danil Medvedev.
The Serb's opponent in the second round will be the winner between Russian Karen Khachanov and Australian Alex de Minor.
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