By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, May 10, 2022
"I look forward to this week with a good I think confidence level and tennis level," Novak Djokovic said.
Photo credit: Getty
Banging his Head racquet off the soles of his crimson-colored shoes, Novak Djokovic shook loose clogging clumps of clay.
A fierce Djokovic put his foot down turning this Rome opener into clean-up time.
More: Alcaraz Stuns Djokovic
Moving smoothly and striking with precision, Djokovic dismissed Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-2 in a sharp Rome opener.
It is Djokovic’s 60th career victor in the Eternal City—joining the four Grand Slams as the fifth tournament the Serbian has 60 or more wins—as he raised his career record to 997-203.
After bowing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Madrid semifinals on Saturday, Djokovic is revving up for Roland Garros aiming to attain a pair of milestones this week.
In addition to chasing his 1,000th career victory Djokovic must advance to the Rome semifinals to retain his world No. 1 ranking—otherwise Daniil Medvedev will surpass the Serbian and regain the top spot on Monday, May 16th.
Five-time Rome champion Djokovic, who grew up training in Italy and speaks Italian, calls both Monte-Carlo and Rome his homes away from home. After trading early breaks today, Djokovic served up a severe eviction notice to Karatsev, who upset the 34-year-old Serbian on red clay in the Belgrade semifinals last spring.
The top seed won 21 of 30 points played on Karatsev’s second serve and converted four of 10 break point chances in a commanding 90-minute victory.
“It's always a joy for me to come back,” Djokovic said of his Rome return. “I think the success I had in previous years, winning it five times, playing more finals as well, it's a testament to how I'm feeling here. I look forward to this week with a good I think confidence level and tennis level. Hopefully I can go far.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has done his part in setting up a potential round of 16 reunion match. If three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka beats Laslo Djere, he will face Djokovic in a rematch of the 2015 Roland Garros final, which the Swiss won.
Peaking for Paris is a priority for Djokovic, and the complete quality of tennis he showed today should strengthen his confidence.
Five minutes into the match, Karatsev couldn’t buy a first serve as he double faulted to face double break point. Dropping way back behind the baseline to return second serve, Djokovic coaxed a netted forehand breaking in the second game.
The 35th-ranked Karatsev sticks his Head racquet straight ahead while returning like an explorer pointing a flashlight into the darkness of a cave. Karatsev created cracks in the top seed’s serve with a slick swing volley and an angled volley breaking back in the third game.
Looking a bit perplexed by Djokovic’s deeper return position, Karatsev was struggling to land first serves in key moments. Then the man in purple committed cringeworthy self-sabotage badly bungling a smash he nearly missed completely to face a second break point in the eighth game. Djokovic jarred his opponent with a deep drive down the middle rattling out his second break for 5-3.
Superior movement helped Djokovic create separation.
Serving for the set, Djokovic showed eye-popping athleticism with a crazy sliding get of a drop shot. Shoveling his reply down the line, the top seed danced back to the center and jabbed a backhand volley winner igniting a roar from the crowd.
When Karatsev sailed a backhand beyond the baseline, Djokovic had the 42-minute first se in hand. Djokovic committed just nine unforced errors in the opening set—half of his opponent.
While Karatsev was crunching faster groundstrokes, Djokovic was playing cleaner combinations. Repelling a flurry of forehands, Djokovic hit a shorter, sharper forehand angle drawing a netted reply for the break and his fourth straight game to start the second set.
Though Djokovic appeared dissatisfied with the condition of the clay right behind the baseline—at times he pointed to bad bounces and unruly patches—for the most part the 11-time finalist was moving fluidly, covering the court beautifully and extending Karatsev into littering errors.
The 2021 Moscow champion framed a few forehands as Djokovic scored his third consecutive break snatching a 3-0 second-set lead.
The 11-time finalist won 12 of the last 15 points played on his serve raising his 2022 record to 8-4.
No. 12-seeded Diego Schwartzman staved off two match points subduing a red-hot Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3).
"You know, tennis on clay, if you are there and wait for the chance, maybe you have," Schwartzman said. "I think at the end he was playing much better than me on the third.
"I was lucky, to be honest, but I was ready for the chance. Sometimes you have to be ready for the chance, have a little bit of lucky, and at the end I won."
Schwartzman, who owns a Rome win over king of clay Rafael Nadal, rallied from 0-3 down in the final set, saved two match points at 4-5, failed to serve out the match at 6-5 yet withstood it all prevailing in two hours, 43 minutes.
Former world No. 7 David Goffin surprised 11th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(8), 7-6(2). Goffin saved four of five break points posting his first Top 15 win of the season.
The 48th-ranked Belgian improved to 10-3 on clay this season and will play American Jenson Brooksby for a place in the round of 16.