Novak Djokovic forgot about the disappointment of last week’s Monte Carlo Open defeat by appearing dominant in the opening match of the Serbia Open, Belgrade.
The world number 1 stole a stunning 6-1, 6-3 victory over South Korean Soonwoo Kwon to make her way to the quarter-finals of this week’s Serbia Open.
The home favorite looked sharp from the first game of the second half and showed no trace of last week’s defeat to Dan Evans in Monte Carlo. He broke Kwon’s serve on five occasions in a match that lasted 68 minutes.
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“I thought I played really well from the start, except for when lost my service game when it was 5-2 in the second set and thought it was an almost flawless performance,” said Novak Djokovic.
“I moved well, combined the pace right, and kept him playing. I served well in important moments and overall, I felt good.”
In a press conference on Monday (19/4), the top seed spoke about the importance of competing in his own home. The last ATP tournament to be held in Serbia occurred in the 2012 season.
The 2021 Australian Open winner confirmed it with a stunning performance against Kwon that he is the favorite to claim a third title in Belgrade. He especially felt happy to be able to play well in front of his family and friends.
“It gives you extra motivation and energy to really give it your best,” added Djokovic, who met Kwon for the first time.
“I think it also makes me feel comfortable and confident on the pitch and I’m playing really well. I am very satisfied with the quality of my game.”
In the quarter-finals of the Serbia Open, Djokovic will face compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic who beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-3 3-6 6-3.
“When I was 0-5 down in the second set, I was already thinking about the third set. So I started practicing a few strokes and started to get up. My game started to work, but I think it helped me get off to a positive start in the deciding set and beat it,” explained Kecmanovic.
The meeting in the quarter-finals of the Serbia Open will be Djokovic’s first meeting against Kecmanovic.
