Novak Djokovic got the job done against Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets, but he had high praise for the Dutchman’s play afterwards. On Wednesday, top seed Djokovic ousted 39th-ranked Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3 in the round of 16 in Dubai.
A day earlier, Djokovic bested Tomas Machac in a third-set tiebreaker. “It’s been a great night for me tonight. Yesterday I really had to work hard to get a win. Tonight, from the blocks, I think I was ready.
I definitely played better quality tennis than last night. Maybe the last three or four games weren’t the best to close the match, but in the end I managed to find a good serve. I am very satisfied with the performance and with the way I felt on the court, and I hope that things can go in the right direction for tomorrow,» Djokovic said after the match, according to the ATP website.
Djokovic praises Griekspoor: he has a lot of firepower in his game
“He has a lot of firepower in his game. His serve and forehand, those are two of his favorite shots. He tries to dictate points from the baseline with his right foot, and I knew he had to take time away from him.» Djokovic said of Griekspoor.
Djokovic got off to a fast start against Griekspoor as he claimed an early break and a 3-0 lead. In the eighth game, when Griekspoor was serving to stay in the first set, Djokovic earned his second break to seal the opener.
After easily winning the first set, Djokovic got off to an even better start in the second set, earning back-to-back breaks for a 5-0 lead. Leading 5-0 in the second set, Djokovic had two match points on Griekspoor’s serve, but the Dutchman saved them to cut the deficit to 5-1.
In the seventh game, Djokovic was unable to serve for the match as Griekspoor managed to win back a break. Djokovic might not have served for the match on his first attempt, but he made no mistake on his second attempt in the ninth game. Djokovic now has a 2-0 head-to-head against Griekspoor.
