Sports writing (EFE).- The Serbian Novak Djokovic, who recently became the player who has occupied the number 1 position in professional tennis for the most weeks with 378, beat the Czech Tomas Machac in the round of 32 of the Dubai tournament by 6- 3, 3-6 and 7-6 (1).
Djokovic, a five-time tournament winner who had never lost before a quarterfinal in his previous 12 appearances, broke his opponent’s serve for the first time in the fourth game of the match. The advantage was lost in the next and he regained it again in the sixth, dragging it until he closed the sleeve with his serve and blank.
The set in favor put everything in the face of the Balkan racket, but in the second Machac began to offer his best version. The break to the first option that he had was confirmed immediately after with his serve. And being 3-0 up he was even able to surprise again on serve, but wasted a 0-40 in his favor. Despite everything, he resisted the pressure and ended up winning 3-6.
Djokovic vs. Griekspoor in the next round in Dubai
In this way everything was decided in the third and final sleeve. There, things began to go seriously wrong for Machac, who had to call the physiotherapist due to wrist problems with a 1-0 down and 40-40. He won that serve, but gave up the next one he had.
Even so, he recovered and returned the break in the seventh to the second opportunity he had, after a game where he signed a high-quality drop shot, and equalized at four making his serve good. Having achieved the most difficult, he held out until the tie break but in that instance Djokovic was more solid to overcome him by conceding only one point. Now the Serbian will face the Dutch Tallon Griekspoor in the next round, executioner of the Frenchman Constant Lestienne (6-4, 3-6 and 6-2).
In addition, the day also saw the triumph of the Russian Daniil Medvedev against the Italian Matteo Arnaldi in two sets (6-4 and 6-2). His rival in the round of 16 will be the Kazakh Alexander Bublik, who saw how the Bulgarian Alexander Lazarov withdrew from the track after having lost the initial set 6-1 and falling 1-0 in the second set.
