By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Novak Djokovic tamed his temper and lucky loser Mats Moraing 6-2, 7-6(4) to advance to his fourth quarterfinal of the season at the Belgrade Open.
Photo credit: Serbian Open Facebook
Grand Slam champions often spend the week before Roland Garros reveling in the red-clay calm of practice-court play.
In his second Belgrade homecoming of the season, Novak Djokovic erupted in raging storm before restoring order on his home court.
Federer: One Last Huge Opportunity
Withstanding a wild second-set stress test, Djokovic ultimately tamed his temper and lucky loser Mats Moraing 6-2, 7-6(4) to advance to his fourth quarterfinal of the season at the Belgrade Open.
It was Djokovic's 951st career win equaling Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas for fifth place on the all-time men's Open Era list.
The world No. 1 improved to 17-3 after an adventurous second set.
An ornery Djokovic squandered a set and a break lead, crashed to the court chasing a drive, smashed his Head racquet incurring a code violation and point penalty and was stunned by a series of rocket returns from the world No. 253, who broke when the Serbian tried to serve out the match at 6-5.
Though Djokovic carried 950 career Tour-level wins on court—949 more victories than his opponent—the 6'6" Moraing came out with a clear game-plan: crack the ball down the lines and try to shorten points when possible.
Djokovic drilled a forehand pass crosscourt for triple break point in the fifth game. The top seed scalded a backhand return off the sideline sealing a love break with precision strikes.
As Djokovic began reading the direction of Moraing's drives, he began conjuring creative replies. Spinning a short-angled forehand brought the Serbian another break point and left the German looking a little dismayed.
When Moraing pasted a backhand into net, Djokovic had his second straight break and a 5-2 lead.
The Belgrade-born baseliner did not face a break point as he burst through five consecutive games in a sharp 39-minute opening set.
The lucky loser held to start the second set and stop his slide.
Fifty-two minutes into the match, Djokovic slid into a slick backhand pass breaking for 2-1 and erupting a primal scream.
That yell turned to frustrated shriek when Djokovic watched a Moraing backhand blur by for double break point. Djokovic denied both, but the left-hander lashed another backhand down the line for his third break point of the day. Ultimately, Djokovic broke himself—his third double fault gave Moraing his first break of the match.
The lanky German wrong-footed Djokovic sending the Serbian crashing to the court as he saved a second break point in the fifth game. Moraing saved three break points in the game standing tall to take a 3-2 lead, while an ornery Djokovic drew a code violation warning for ball abuse.
Djokovic changed from white shirt to red, but his mood did not brighten. An irate Djokovic slammed his Head racquet to the clay in a series of sharp strikes leaving a mangled mess. Djokovic incurred code violation racquet abuse the cost him a point penalty.
Seeing his raging opponent come unglued relaxed Moraing who slid an ace holding for 4-3.
Channeling anger into action, Djokovic slashed successive aces to even the set after eight games.
Anger is like fire it can fuel players or consume them and in this case Djokovic's edginess energized him. Firing a pair of forehand winners helped him reach triple break point. Djokovic jumped on a short ball and banged a clean forehand capping a love break for 6-5.
The finish line was four points away, but Moraing, whose father, Heiner, and uncle, Peter, both cracked the ATP Top 150 in the 1980s, was determined to go down swinging.
The German banged a a pair of forehand return winners then fired another clean forehand down the line for double break point. Throughout the game, Djokovic continued to challenge the German's forehand wing as if he wasn't quite believing what he was seeing or was committed to see if Moraing could do it again. On his second break point, Moraing laced a two-handed backhand crosscourt to break and force the tie breaker.
Two mistakes cost the lucky loser in the breaker: Moraing missed a short forehand and hit his first double fault as Djokovic went up 5-3. A netted return gave the Australian Open champion two match points.
Djokovic darted a serve winner down the middle to close in one hour, 41 minutes. Removing his baseball cap, Djokovic met Moraing at net where the pair shared smiles and a friendly embrace after a tricky battle.
The world No. 1 will play alterante Federico Coria, younger brother of former Roland Garros runner-up Guillermo Coria, for a semifinal spot.