Defending champion Novak Djokovic has made a winning start to his title defence with a 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2, win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
Facing the Spaniard, Djokovic and his camp were weary of the threat he faced. Earlier this year at the Doha Open the world No.2 was forced to save five match points in his semifinal match against Verdasco. Furthermore, Verdasco was the man responsible for defeating Rafael Nadal in the first round of last year’s Australian Open.
The Melbourne crowd was anticipating a thrilling encounter between the two, but it was a far from competitive start to the match. As Djokovic swiftly settled into his rhythm, Verdasco struggled to find his. An array of errors from the world No.40, notably from the forehand side, enabled the defending champion to surge to a 5-0 lead. Verdasco’s play improved as the match progressed, but it was far from the high standards of the Serbian. Sealing the opening set in just 31 minutes, the second seed outlasted during a competitive rally.
What a way to bring up the first set! @djokernole in fine form at the #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/tWfJqmi0P1
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) 17 January 2017
Djokovic’s one-sided start to the match failed to materialise beyond the opening set. Four consecutive breaks occurred with both men getting frustrated with their inability to capitalize on their opportunities. Verdasco was screaming and shouting towards his camp, whilst Djokovic appeared exacerbated with some of his below-par shot-making. It was a true testament as to how much the match meant to them.
Riding through the storm, Djokovic was the one who prevailed in the tiebreaker. Returning Verdasco’s shots with interest, the breakthrough occurred at 4-4 when a 17-shot rally concluded with the Spaniard hitting a backhand into the net. Tasked with serving for a two-sets lead, the defending champion held his nerve with a serve out wide that proved too problematic for his highly animated opponent.
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) 17 January 2017
The double-blow dealt to the world No.40 by Djokovic proved to be too much. A Verdasco double fault secured another break in the favour of the second seed as he rallied to 3-0 in the third, three games away from victory. Djokovic still encountered glimmers of his opponent’s impressive play, but it was too inconsistent. With victory in sight, the win was sealed with the help of another crumbling shot from Verdasco.
“I managed to start well with a great intensity.” Djokovic said of his performance. “The first and third set went really well. The second set was a gamble, it was very close.”
Going into the match, Djokovic admitted that he was on edge about playing Verdasco following their testing clash earlier this year. Those concerns were relaxed by a somewhat lacklustre display from the 33-year-old.
“When I saw the draw I thought to myself that this is going to be the only match that I am going to focus on because I might as well finish off early (in the tournament) if he’s on form.” He said.
This year Djokovic is bidding to win a record seventh title at the Australian Open.
Match statistics
