Djokovic shatters Nadal's Open Period file to make quarters in Cincinnati Masters | Tennis News
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Novak Djokovic has had a surprising return to the US after two years. After happening within the doubles marketing campaign in his very first match on comeback, Djokovic made it depend in singles, the place he reached the quarterfinal on late Thursday night time after one more win towards Gael Monfils on the Cincinnati Masters. And with the win, Djokovic scripted one other Open Period file after surpassing his long-time rival Rafael Nadal, who has been absent from the tour since January this 12 months and can doubtless stay within the sidelines for the rest of the season.
It was a routine victory for Djokovic on Centre Courtroom, who beat Monfils 6-3, 6-2, because the Serb notched up his nineteenth straight win towards the Frenchman with no single loss. It now stands as the best unbeaten streak by a participant towards a single opponent in males's singles Open Period, surpassing Nadal's 18-0 file towards Richard Gasquet, additionally from France.
"It was type of an evolution of each gamers over the previous 15-plus years that we have been enjoying one another in numerous components of the world, additionally in juniors," Djokovic stated of their historical past. "I believe early on I struggled lots with him, I believe bodily as nicely. Whenever you play on of essentially the most athletic guys on the Tour, it's important to be prepared, each ball comes again. A few factors right now, particularly within the first set he confirmed his athleticism."
Monfils, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas final week in his run to Canadian Open quarters and received the higher of Cameron Norrie and an in-form Alex de Minaur in Ohio, was by no means a menace to Djokovic, having managed to interrupt solely as soon as within the second set. However Djokovic denied him a comeback alternative as he wrapped up the match in slightly over an hour, as he accomplished victory in his first accomplished match since that heartbreaking loss in Wimbledon remaining to Carlos Alcaraz. The 36-year-old, who was received his opening match in Cincinnati Masters after opponent Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired within the second set, now stays on target for a possible rematch towards Alcaraz within the remaining and reclaim his world No. 1 title.
Djokovic subsequent faces Taylor Fritz, who reached the quarters after Laslo Djere retired within the opening set. The Atlanta Open champion, who's 31-8 on arduous courts his season, has made the final eight for the second straight time in Cincinnati. This may even be his seventh assembly towards Djokovic though the Serb has received all six of them.
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