Australian Open: Djokovic had to fight against his physique, he beat Couacaud and remains behind Nadal’s record

Melbourne (Australia), January 19 (EFE) -7(5), 6-2 and 6-0 in the second round of the Australian Open.

His rival in the next phase will be the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (27), who also punishes the Serbian Laslo Djere, with whom he maintains a positive 9-1 face-to-face.

A lot of things happened tonight, he deserves credit for extending the match to four sets. We both suffered physically, he commented on a match in which the Frenchman first threatened to retire after spraining his ankle in the early stages and then the Serbian alarmed the stands after asking for medical assistance for a nuisance in his left leg, which he has bandaged.

Djokovic, who wore an embittered expression during practically the three hours and four minutes of play, had an intense argument with the chair umpire in the last set to ask him to send off a fan who, according to the tennis player, had scolded him for everything the meeting time.

It is the first time the Serbian has missed a set so far in the tournament, but his dreams of equaling Spaniard Rafael Nadal with 22 important championships, as well as attacking the first world position held by Carlos Alcaraz, are still alive.

Despite Balkans’ qualification to the third round hanging by a thread at times, he rallied after losing in the third round tie-break and scored twelve of his last fourteen matches.

That’s to be expected when you enter the field as favorite against someone playing for the first time in these kinds of venues. Certain that he will find his shots and give his all, he added regarding the self-confidence his rival showed during a second set in which the stands took him into the air.

Following his win, Djokovic has a record of seven wins and no losses in 2023 after claiming his 92nd professional title in Adelaide. EFE extension

Source: EFE