Australian Open – 3rd round – Novak Djokovic dismisses Grigor Dimitrov (7-6, 6-3, 6-4) to slip into 8th

Nobody knows if Novak Djokovic’s thigh will allow him to get a tenth Australian Open this season. But his hamstring injury did not in any case prevent him from rallying again in the second week in Melbourne. On Saturday, the Serb overcame Grigor Dimitrov in three tight sets (7-6, 6-3, 6-4) to qualify for the round of 16.

Before thinking about his meeting against the local of the stage, Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic still risks spending a lot of time worrying about his injury. As since the beginning of the Australian Grand Slam, he appeared on the court with a strap around his leg and seemed embarrassed on many supports. As a result, Djokovic did not always make the effort on certain long runs and multiplied the stretches throughout the meeting.

Undeniably the Serb is embarrassed, but he fought hard to win on Saturday against Grigor Dimitrov… who played Grigor Dimitrov. Sometimes capable of sumptuous shots like a winning backhand smash in the third set, the Bulgarian also sent a good number of innocuous shots into the net. Faults for which he paid dearly over the course of the meeting, and in particular in the first round. First broken, Dimitrov took advantage of his opponent’s tension to snatch the tie-break, and even got three set points. Unfortunately for him, this is the moment that Djokovic chose to tighten the game and pocket the sleeve.

A real test to come

The victory of this first set – combined with the passage on the field of the healer to take care of his leg – completely freed the Serb. Aggressive and more mobile, “Nole” also relied on an excellent service (72% first ball, for 74% success behind her, including 11 aces) to accelerate and gradually take the measure of an opponent whom he had beaten nine times in their previous ten duels.

A simple break was enough for Djokovic to pocket the second set (6-3), before the third turned into exchanges of courtesies between two players who never managed to keep their commitment (five breaks in all in this set) . But as often on the Rod Laver Arena – and elsewhere – it was the Serb who had the last word after more than three hours of combat. A good omen before facing Alex de Minaur, not known to be the least tenacious player on the circuit.