By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Novak Djokovic broke serve five times in a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Jannik Sinner at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters improving to a perfect 10-0 on the season.
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Novak Djokovic can ride his bicycle to the Monte-Carlo Country Club from his home.
In his Monte-Carlo homecoming today, Djokovic occupied the driver's seat leaving Jannik Sinner spinning his wheels.
More: Sinner on Facing Djokovic
The top-seeded Serbian broke serve five times in a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Sinner cruising into the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters round of 16 and improving to a perfect 10-0 on the season.
It was Djokovic's first match since he swept Daniil Medvedev to win his record-extending ninth Australian Open crown in February.
After going down a break early, Djokovic shook off the rust as quickly as a man knocking clumps of clotted clay from his sneaker soles with whack of his racquet. Once he loosened up his arm and found his range and rhythm, Djokovic went on a four-game surge to take charge of the opening set.
"I felt good. I think 'solid' is a good word to describe the performance," Djokovic said. "Obviously I know I can always do better. I'm working towards playing even on a higher level than I did today.
"I have to be satisfied considering I think I had a tough draw for the first round, playing Sinner, who is in form, who is striking the ball very well. I knew it was going to be a challenge. I walked into the court with the right intensity, right focus."
Facing the 19-year-old Italian phenom for the first time, Djokovic spread the court shrewdly, countered Sinner's stinging drives accurately and used his drop shot cleverly at times dragging the teenager out of his comfort zone on the baseline.
“It feels great [to be back and] also playing in Monaco, where I reside,” said Djokovic in his post-match interview. “I have used this club as a training base for almost 15 years, so it feels like playing at home. “It was a very good encounter. I thought it was a great first match [and] a big challenge for me. Jannik is in form. He played the final [in] Miami and has been playing well. I just hung in there today and managed to find the right shots and the right game at the right time.”
It's the sixth time the 33-year-old Serbian has sprung to a perfect 10-0 start to the season.
Miami Open finalist Sinner said before this match he looked forward to meeting the world No. 1 as a learning experience.
Afterward, Sinner said one of the most vital lessons he learned was when you face the 18-time Grand Slam champion, expect every ball to come back.
"Obviously what I see is that he is defending better than me when he's coming in the run," Sinner said. "We have to learn there. We have to serve a little bit better. Everything, you know. I think the biggest part where I have to learn, but I knew already, is to understand the right situations in every match, to don't go too much, don't go too slow, all the rest. It's trying to understand the situation. That's what I'm trying to do.
"Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't work, like today where maybe your opponent is better than you or understands faster than you. That's the point. He's doing that. I think I have to learn this part of the game."
Sinner saved a break point in the second game then scored the first break in the third when Djokovic pushed a drop volley wide.
Coming right back, the top seed cracked shots into both corners breaking back for 2-all after 19 minutes.
The Australian Open champion was moving fluidly countering Sinner's heavy baseline blows. Djokovic used the clever drop shot-lob combination to earn a break point and broke again for 3-2 after 30 minutes.
That sparked a run of four straight games for the Serbian as he surged to a 5-2 lead. Djokovic broke to seal a one-set lead.
"First maybe three, four games I was still feeling maybe not as comfortable hitting the ball," Djokovic said. "Then I started to work my way in the match. Yeah, just made him play, made him move. It's not easy playing someone that has not much to lose, young player like Sinner. His game style is such that he smacks the ball quite hard from both ends, so you got to kind of weather the storm and use the angles well."
Striking on the run with accuracy and ambition, Djokovic broke in the fourth game and backed up the break for a 4-1 second-set lead.
The two-time Monte-Carlo champion cracked 20 winners wrapping up a solid victory in one hour, 34 minutes.
Next up for Djokovic is a first meeting with Briton Dan Evans, who defeated Miami Open champion Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-1. The 5'9" Evans served 79 percent, won 28 of 31 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a 64-minute sweep.
The owner of a record 36 Masters 1000 championships, Djokovic knows he'll see a lot more slice, subtlety and variety from the 33rd-ranked Evans than he experienced against the hard-hitting Sinner today.
"Very smart player. You would think that with his game maybe the clay would suit him the least, but he's proving people wrong," Djokovic said. "He can play equally well on clay. He moves great. Very, very dynamic, explosive player. Great forehand, good serve. He comes to the net. He uses his slice very well.
"The variety in his game I think is something that I would probably point out as something that makes him probably dangerous on any surface really. I have never played him, as you pointed out.
"Obviously every time you face someone for the first time, probably I'm going to have to use a little bit more analysis of his game prior to tomorrow's match, talk to few people and my coach as well, try to prepare myself as best as I can. Yeah, let's see what happens."