Novak Djokovic Roared In The First Match After Australian Deportation

Novak Djokovic rekindled hopes of continuing his winning streak by kicking off his 2022 campaign on Monday in Dubai with a thumping 6-3, 6-3 victory over Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti.

The 34-year-old Serbian world No. 1 displayed a fantastic game in the jam-packed Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and received a huge response from the audiences that kept chanting Nole, Nole throughout the game. It was the first game for Novak after his deportation from Australia.

Highlights Of The Match:

• Novak Djokovic won the opening set in just 36 minutes
• A break of serve gave him the much-needed lead over Musetti
• Djokovic roared in anger to his team after losing four breakpoints
• But he comfortable scored the last 16 in 74 minutes

Why Was He Deported From Australia?

Novak Djokovic was deported for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 last month from Melbourne, Australia where he had hopes of winning a 10th Australian Open, and 21st Grand Slam. His visa was canceled and he was asked to leave the country. This dashed all his hopes of big winnings, but the recent win in Dubai rekindled his hopes of winning a sixth title in the Emirates. UAE allowed him to play because the COVID-19 vaccine isn’t a requirement to enter the country.

The 20-time champion will play with the winner of the first-round duel between Karen Khachanov and Alex de Minaur. Before this match, Djokovic last played in Davis Cup Finals in Madrid last December.

Rafael Nadal who won the Australian Open and the 21st Grand Slam title in the absence of Djokovic offered long-distance support to Djokovic by saying that Novak Djokovic should be allowed to play despite his vaccination status. He was speaking at a press conference ahead of the Mexican Open championship.

Source:- https://bit.ly/3H5gejT