Djokovic Gets Grass Campaign Underway In Eastbourne

  • Posted: Jun 28, 2017

Djokovic Gets Grass Campaign Underway In Eastbourne

Jun282017

Serbian star hoping to hit peak form on English south coast

Novak Djokovic recorded his 25th match win of the season on Wednesday in overcast conditions at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.

Having played only 13 points due to rain on Tuesday, Djokovic returned to Devonshire Park, venue of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament, to complete a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Vasek Pospisil in 85 minutes.

“I’m glad that I came here to Eastbourne,” said Djokovic. “I have had a great couple of days of training with good players, different styles of game. Yesterday, we obviously started the match and it wasn’t really enjoyable to see the rain falling all day.

“But today we kind of played a full match, so I’m glad for that. I felt good on the court, considering it was my first grass-court match. I played against an opponent that has a really good game for grass. He serves well, comes to the net and has good variety. It was a really, really solid win. I’m happy with it.”

The 30-year-old Djokovic, who is competing at this first grass-court tournament prior to Wimbledon since the 2010 Aegon Championships, will now meet American Donald Young in the quarter-finals.

Young managed to convert three of his 12 break point opportunities in a 6-4, 7-5 win over his #NextGenATP compatriot Jared Donaldson. Djokovic will now meet Young for the first time since the 2006 US Open.

You May Also Like: Sea Air Helping To Re-Charge Djokovic

 Watch Live On TennisTV

 Watch Full Match Replays

Five first-round matches and two doubles matches were completed on Wednesday before the heavens opened to further delay play at the Aegon International. Play was suspended at Devonshire Park at 4:55 p.m. local time, with five singles matches on court.

Earlier in the day, #NextGenATP Russian Daniil Medvedev recorded his sixth grass-court match win of the year as he defeated fifth seed Sam Querrey 6-3, 7-5. Medvedev, who is currently No. 5 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan for a spot at November’s Next Gen ATP Finals, struck nine aces and broke serve on three occasions to beat the 2015 finalist in 74 minutes.

View Emirates ATP Race To Milan 

American Frances Tiafoe, 19, hit 18 aces and came close to beating seventh seed Richard Gasquet, a winner of two grass-court trophies, mid-afternoon. Gasquet fought back from a set and 4-5 deficit to record a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory in two hours and 24 minutes.

Sixth seed Mischa Zverev led Ryan Harrison by a set and 4-2, but then had to fight off six set points before recording a 6-4, 7-6(9) victory. Harrison led 6/2 in the tie-break, then held two further set point opportunities at 7/6 and 9/8 before Zverev clinched his 17th match win of the year in 89 minutes.

Source link