With less drama, Djokovic beats Dimitrov and goes to eighth place in Australia

Sérvio experienced some moments of pain, but managed to overcome them.

His leg bothered him at times, but Novak Djokovic controlled his physique and nerves to qualify for the round of 16 of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, held in Melbourne.

The world number five and nine-time tournament champion scored 3 sets to 0 against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, in 28th place, for 3 sets to 0 with runs of 7/6 (9/7) 6/3 6/4 after 3h07min in the Rod Laver Arena, the main venue of Melbourne Park. This was the eleventh duel between the two and the tenth victory for the Belgrade native.

This is the Serbian’s 24th consecutive victory in the tournament, his 37th on Australian soil. Djokovic doesn’t know what it’s like to lose from the 2018 round of 16 against South Korean Hyeon Chung. He is the new champion of the tournament, he won in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and was prevented from playing in 2022 for not having been vaccinated.

Djokovic showed some discomfort in his leg throughout the match, limping a couple of times. He won a hard-fought first set, in detail. He opened 2-0, served to win, but was broken by Dimitrov. In the tie-break the Serbian opens 5-2, concedes a new draw, saves a set-point, but then closes.

In the second set he controlled the break better and without fear he obtained the triumph. In the third, he opened up 3-0 with two breaks, saw Dimitrov give one of them back, but the Bulgarian made too many mistakes and Nole broke again. Djokovic continued to ask for massages in some side spins and had problems with Grigor’s variations who nearly missed the board with 3/4. Only Djokovic controlled well to close the serve.

Djokovic faces Australian Alex de Minaur, 22nd favorite and 24th in the world, who overtook Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 7/6 (7/0) 6/2 6/1. The duel will be unprecedented on the circuit.

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Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.