Still against the vaccine and the wall, Djokovic is determined to skip the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000

the Serbian Novak Djokovic He stepped down on Thursday after missing more tournaments in the United States for refusing to get vaccinated against the coronavirusThe US authorities have thus extended the vaccination obligation against Covid-19 to international visitors the former world number 1 will probably miss Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000.

“What can I do? Nothing. You know my position, so it is what it is”the Serbian said at a press conference in Adelaide, where he is preparing to play the Australian Open.

“I hope (to play), but if I can’t go, I can’t go”insisted the winner of 21 Grand Slams, who was expelled from Australia a year ago for not being adequately vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Djokovic also missed last year’s US Open for refusing to get vaccinated: the Serbian has dropped to number 5 in the world and risks losing up to 2,000 ATP ranking points if he doesn’t play Indian Wells and Miami.

suffer on the pitch

Djokovic needed two tie breaks to defeat the world number 64 Frenchman Quentin Halis7-6 (3) and 7-6 (5), in the round of 16 in Adelaide.

The Serbian lost his serve on first serve and it took him four games to win it back and reach the tiebreaker, where he went ahead 5-0 to get the first set back on track.

But in the second set he failed to break Halys’ serve. At 5-4 he had two chances to make it, which would have meant the match, but the Frenchman held on and forced a new tie-break, where he only lasted until 5-5.

It was the second time both players had met, despite the fact that it had been seven years since the first, even with Djokovic’s victory. The former world number one’s next rival will be Canadian Denis Shapovalovwho beat the Russian Roman Safiullin from 6-4 and 6-3.

The sixth favorite, the Italian Jannik sinneralso admitted to the quarterfinals thanks to the victory against the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis of 7-6 (2) and 6-4. He will fight for a place in the semifinals against the American Sebastian Ropewhich put an end to the path of the Spaniard Robert the Baptist in the tournament for 6-4 and 6-4.

Source: agencies