“One of the quickest players on tour,” Novak Djokovic is all praise for opponent Alex de Minaur following a straight-set victory at Monte Carlo QF
Novak Djokovic makes it to the semi-finals after brilliant win over de Minaur.
Novak Djokovic and Alex De Minaur (Via Imago)
World No.1 Novak Djokovic is back in business as he motors his way to the 2024 Rolex Monte Carlo Masters. After taking revenge against a couple of players in the earlier rounds, the Serbian was back at it in the quarter-finals.
After beating Lorenzo Musetti, the 36-year-old shifted his focus to Alex de Minaur. Having not lost a set so far, the Serbian looked to continue the same against De Minaur. At the start of the year, many expected the Australian ace to beat Djokovic again after defeating him in the United Cup.
Unfortunately for them, Djokovic found his momentum from the start of the game and cruised ahead. Breaking at the right moments, Djokovic managed to stay well ahead of his opponent, and eventually took a formidable lead. However, de Minaur wasn’t going down without a fight.
Throughout the game, Djokovic faced slight hiccups from the Australian but managed to still maintain the lead. In the end, it was the Serbian with the win, as he took his revenge against de Minaur 7-5, 6-4. After the game, Djokovic had nothing but praise for his opponent’s level of tennis, and how he put up a good fight.
It was tough for both of us. He’s one of the quickest players on tour. He gets a lot of balls back that 99% of players don’t.. he surprised me with several passing shots, in the 2nd set particularly when I was up a break.Novak Djokovic after beating Alex de Minaur
Novak Djokovic unhappy with his level of tennis against Alex de Minaur
Novak Djokovic secured his place at the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals after beating Alex de Minaur in straight sets. However, even after the win, Djokovic was unhappy with his performance.
In the interview after the match, Djokovic said there were too many mistakes, even though it was a clay court. He made 18 errors, and his opponent, de Minaur, made 26. Djokovic also mentioned that they both struggled to hold serve during the match.
We don’t play at a high level. We made a lot of unforced errors. A lot of breaks of serve. Kind of expected for clay but maybe not this many. A win is a win. I’m glad to go through.Novak Djokovic in the post-match interview
Nonetheless, the Serbian beat the Australian to move ahead in the tournament in Monaco. He will face Casper Ruud for the spot in the finals. With no title so far this season, the Serbian will hope to capitalize on this match and make the most out of it. His form has considerably improved since the hard courts, but critics continue to argue that Djokovic is out of shape.
