DJOKOVIC OFF TO STRONG START IN 2015, NADAL GOES DOWN TO BERRER IN DOHA BY RICKY DIMON
DJOKOVIC OFF TO STRONG START IN 2015, NADAL GOES DOWN TO BERRER IN DOHA BY RICKY DIMONepa04544979 Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka during their semi-final match for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 02 January 2015. EPA/ALI HAIDER |
Novak Djokovic kicked off his 2015 campaign in fine form, taking care of fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 6-1 in round one of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Tuesday. Djokovic needed just 59 minutes to set up a meeting with Sergiy Stakhovsky.
The world No. 1 actually dropped serve once in the first set, but it hardly mattered. He broke Lajovic five times, converting all but one of his break-point opportunities.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka during their match for the third place at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 03 January 2015. EPA/ALI HAIDER
Nadal’s opening match of the official 2015 campaign ended in much different fashion. The third-ranked Spaniard got off to a dominant start reminiscent of Djokovic’s match, but it turned around in a hurry. World No. 127 Michael Berrer stormed back to stun Nadal 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 after one hour and 56 minutes of play.
“It’s really unbelievable,” the 34-year-old Berrer assured. “It’s my last season (on the pro tour). I’m going for it. I have nothing to lose. Why not?”
That may have been what Genie Bouchard was asking herself heading into Tuesday action at the Hopman Cup. The Canadian, who slumped late in 2014 and lost her tournament opener in easy straight sets to Lucie Safarova, was an obvious heavy underdog against Serena Williams.
But the United States’ second match did not go nearly as well as its first one against Italy. Williams and John Isner had swept Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini on Monday. This time around, though, they could not replicate the performance against Bouchard and Vasek Pospisil. Both of the singles matches went to the Canadians. Bouchard upset Williams 6-2, 6-1 before Pospisil clinched an overall team victory with a 6-3, 7-6(4) defeat of Isner. The Americans later won a relatively meaningless mixed doubles match 6-3, 7-5.
“I know she didn’t play her best,” Bouchard said of her top-ranked opponent. “I’m happy I just stayed with it and held my nerve. It’s a good way to start the year. It gives me some confidence.”
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.
Topics: Doha, Eugenie Bouchard, Flavia Pennetta, John Isner, Lucie Safarova, Novak Djokovic, Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Rafael Nadal, Ricky Dimon, Serena Williams, Tennis
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