By Chris Oddo | Tuesday August 7, 2018
Novak Djokovic worked his way past Mirza Basic on Tuesday in Toronto and set up a second-round clash with Peter Polansky.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Novak Djokovic began is 2018 hardcourt season with a victory on Tuesday at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, battling past Lucky Loser Mirza Basic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(3).
The Serb was originally slated to face Hyeon Chung in the rematch of the pair’s round of 16 battle at this year’s Australian Open, won by the South Korean in straight sets, but Chung pulled out at the last moment with a back injury leaving the World No. 84 in his place.
Basic held his own in the early going but it would be Djokovic to strike first as he converted a break for 4-2 after prevailing in a tense 21-stroke rally that ended with a forced error from Basic.
Basic saved a set point two games later with bomb serve down the T but Djokovic would close the first set with a love hold that ended with an ace, his fifth of the opening set.
The second set looked to be headed in the same direction as the first but a slip in the Serb’s level allowed Basic to regain a break twice in the set before eventually falling in a tiebreaker.
Djokovic broke first for 4-3 but was immediately broken back after he opened the door for Basic with two double-faults.
Djokovic broke again for 6-5 but again couldn’t hold the lead. His fourth double-fault handed Basic another break, but the Serb righted the ship in the breaker to close his victory in 90 minutes, converting his first match point as a forehand from Basic sailed long.
It wasn’t a sublime performance by any means for Djokovic, but when one considers the fact that he had only played two unsuccessful hardcourt matches since having his elbow surgery, today’s victory was a step in the right direction. At times he struggled to find the shape of his shots and his footwork and timing were far from perfect, but in the end he came through in straight sets and improved to 36-6 lifetime at Rogers Cup.
Djokovic, who finished with 25 winners against 27 unforced errors on the day, will face Canada’s Peter Polansky in second-round action in Toronto.
Tsitsipas Downs Dzumhur, Nishikori Upset
19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas made good on his Rogers Cup debut by taking down Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 7-6(3). Tsitsipas saved the only break point he faced to avenge a loss at Istanbul last season against the World No.24.
Tsitsipas will face No.7-seeded Dominic Thiem in the second-round.
Kei Nishikori fell to Robin Haase in first-round action, 7-5, 6-1. The 2016 Rogers Cup runner-up drops to 6-5 this year on hardcourts. Haase, a semifinalist at Montreal last year, will face Juan Martin del Potro next.
Frances Tiafoe took out Italy's Marco Cecchinato, 7-6(3), 6-1, while American qualifier Ryan Harrison defeated Mackenzie McDonald, 6-4, 6-2, and American Sam Querrey got by Adrian Mannarino, 6-2, 7-5.
14th-seeded Fabio Fognini knocked off American Steve Johnson, 6-4, 6-4.