[Newyddion Brenhinllin Tang Newydd, amser Beijing, Ionawr 09, 2023]The first Grand Slam of the new season – the Australian Open starts next week. Novak Djokovic, who returned to Australia after a year, came to Adelaide to warm up. As a result, after 3 hours and 9 minutes of fierce fighting, the Serbian king overthrew the American Sebastian Korda 6(8)-7/7-6(3)/6-4 and won the 92nd singles championship in his career. Next, we will launch an impact on the “Ten Champions” of the Australian Open.
Djokovic returns to Australia to prepare for the Australian Open
A year ago, Djokovic went into Australia to try to defend the Australian Open, and it turned into a nightmare. Not only did he fail to make it to the Australian Open, he was also expelled from the country. According to the regulations, the Serbian ball king can no longer enter Australia within 3 years. Fortunately, the Australian government finally lifted the ban, allowing him to return to the Australian Open. According to a survey conducted by the Australian media, 41% of the public still oppose the government allowing Djokovic to enter the country. This undoubtedly brought a lot of pressure to his trip to Australia.
For Djokovic who is preparing for the Australian Open, the Adelaide game is a good opportunity to warm up. There is a huge Serbian community here, which can give a lot of support to Djokovic. Before the semi-finals, he did not meet a strong opponent.
In the semi-final, facing the former world No. 1 and Medvedev, a Russian star, Djokovic managed to pass the test without difficulty and progress to the final without losing a set. This is Djokovic’s 22nd win in almost 23 singles matches across the season and the 131st ATP men’s singles final in his career. Medvedev bluntly stated after the match that he did not want to meet him at the Australian Open because “Djokovic is too hard to beat.”
Djokovic’s opponent in the final, Kodak, is a 22-year-old teenager. On the way to the promotion, the American eliminated Murray, Agut, Sinner and Yoshihito Nishioka in succession and broke into his fifth ATP Tour final. This is also the first time the two have played against each other.
Djokovic reverses Korda to win 92nd crown
In the first set, Kodak broke serve in the 9th game and took a 5-4 lead. After that, with Korda serving to win the match leading 40-0, Djokovic was relentless scoring five points in a row to complete the break. Subsequently, the American teenager withstood the pressure, saved an inventory, and dragged the game into the tie break. In the tiebreaker, Kodak took the lead to take the set points 6-4, but Djokovic saved three more set points to tie the score. At the last minute, Kodak decided an inventory point and won the first set 10-8.
In the second set, both sides continued to serve each other, the score rose alternately, and the battle was 5-5. In the 12th game, Kodak once forced a break point and a match point, but Djokovic came to the net and solved it successfully. The match entered the draw again, Djokovic played strongly, scored 5 points in a row, won 7-3 easily, and took a set back.
In the deciding set, both sides once again secured each other the first 9 games. In the decisive 10th game, Djokovic seized the opportunity to break serve and finally won his 92nd personal championship 6-4, tying Nadal and tied for fourth place in the men’s championship list. After the match, Djokovic was full of praise for Korda: “He hits the ball cleanly and looks effortless. The way he plays and moves is pleasing to the eye.”
Djokovic points to the ten-time Australian Open champion
After the Adelaide stop, Djokovic’s winning streak in Australia has reached 34 matches. If not for the busy times of last year, Australia has always been his wonderful country. Before this, he had reached the Australian Open record nine times. With Djokovic’s current condition, as long as he stays healthy, becoming the “Ten Champions” of the Australian Open is no longer a luxury.
New world No. 1 Alcaraz accidentally injured his right leg while preparing for the Australian Open, and thus withdrew from this year’s Australian Open, leaving Djokovic with one of his biggest rivals. Djokovic’s old rival, Nadal, has been at a low point in his career since last year’s US Open, and has lost 6 of the last 7 matches.
In the just concluded United Cup match, Nadal lost both games and was in a lethargic state. Most people in the industry are not optimistic about the Spaniard defending the Australian Open, but they are unanimously optimistic that Djokovic can win the Australian Open for the tenth time, thus tying Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles. The final result will be announced in two weeks.
(Reposted from The Epoch Times/Editor in charge: Ye Ping)
URL of this article: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/01/09/a103620900.html
