Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia returned to the court on Monday and had five aces while producing a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Italian wild card Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates.
It was the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s first appearance since being deported from Australia and missing the Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status. Djokovic had 13 winners in a 74-minute triumph in his 2022 debut.
“All in all, it’s a straight-sets win, so of course I have to be satisfied with my tennis, especially after not playing for two-and-a-half, three months,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “Of course, there were moments when I played great, there were moments when I made a couple of unforced errors in a row uncharacteristically. But it’s normal to expect that (in my) first match after a while.”
In other matches, Brit Andy Murray outlasted Aussie Christopher O’Connell 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5; Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely posted a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic; Japan’s Taro Daniel registered a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over Belgium’s David Goffin; and Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic defeated Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4.
–Field Level Media
