“Ugly” return of Djokovic in Monte Carlo

After giving way to his rival, the unexpected Ivan Gakhov, Novak Djokovic He entered the coquettish track Rainier III of the Monte Carlo Masters 1,000, always pleasant to see with the Mediterranean Sea in the background. The Serbian placed his belongings on the bench, as he has done more than a thousand times in so many tournaments. A routine that, like the others, I’m sure you love and that you haven’t done since last March 3when he lost in the semifinals in Dubai, against another Russian, Daniil Medvedev. The world number one could not play in Indian Wells or Miami, due to his stubborn refusal to get vaccinated against COVID, still an essential condition to enter the United States. And she wanted to go back. But she did it with a contradictory sense of apathy, having trouble hitting in well-coordinated positions and, surely, with more difficulties than expected to win 7-6 (5) and 6-2 1h47 to the 198th in the worldwho had not won an ATP match until this week (the American Mackenzie McDonald) after beating the previous one in the Principality of Monaco. He was facing, with nothing to lose, an opponent who has accumulated 1,047 victories.

Djokovic prevailed and will meet on Thursday in the round of 16 with an Italian: Lorenzo Musetti or Luca Nardi, who play on Wednesday. The Balkan accused inactivity on a surface that is not his favorite and in which Nadal has not let him shine as he could have had the Spaniard not existed. Two titles in Monte Carlo against 11 for Rafa, two at Roland Garros against 14 for the king of clay. He met a stranger (“I had not seen him until today, only the day before in a video”acknowledged), Gakhov, left-handed 26 years old, who surprised by the variety of his game, his good serve and his forehand askedwith much effect. Reading his biography, she understands herself. He cites clay and Monte Carlo as his favorite terrain and tournament. He is trained by a Spaniard, Miguel Martínez, and he speaks Spanish because he has lived since he was 14 in Gandía and Barcelona.

Good old Ivan, who has the serotonin molecule tattooed on his neck, the neurotransmitter that regulates, among other things, mood and, therefore, happiness, kept it up until 2-1 in the second set. Then he fell to a 5-0 run from an already relentless Djokovic, who is 16-1 this year and has played in four tournaments this year. So, logically, it’s cool. The difference between them was abysmal. They only had the sneakers in common, the Asics Court FF 3 Novak Clay that the Muscovite also wore. And the physicist decided on a rather mediocre day of tennis by the leader of the ranking, as he himself admitted. “It has been an ugly victory. I haven’t played at my best level, particularly in the first set. Although I could somehow expect it due to the conditions, with a lot of wind that changed the direction of the ball. And it’s different to practice than to play an official game on land, where no two pots are the same and things are unpredictable. I need more time to adapt and I hope to play several games this week here”said Nole, who celebrated the fact of “containing my nerves in the important moments and obtaining a victory in two sets.”

golden opportunity

Despite his sluggish start, ten months after his last match on clay, Djokovic (35 years old) has a great chance to increase his record 39 Masters 1,000 titles and also the distance that separates him from Carlos Alcaraz in the fight for one. Last year he lost in the second round against Alejandro Davidovich and can add up to 990 points. Especially in the absence of the Murcian and Nadal. Although on his side of the draw he has potential tough rivals, such as Jannik Sinner and his last executioner, Daniil Medvedev, before a hypothetical final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who went to the round of 16 without breaking a sweat, in just 22 minutes, due to the withdrawal of Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi when he beat him 3-0.