World number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Spain’s David Ferrer during their Mubadala World Tennis Championship match in the Abu Dhabi yesterday. (AFP)
AFP/Abu Dhabi
World No 1 Novak Djokovic opened his season with an impressive 6-0, 6-3 win over David Ferrer in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament here yesterday.
The Serb, who won here last year, raced away with the first set of the semi-final clash before the Spaniard managed to grab an early break in the second.
Ferrer served to go 3-1 up, but could not convert and it was Djokovic who once again took over the reins of what was a low-key match.
After the match, Djokovic told ESPN: “I love this court and the conditions here. I wish all the tournaments in the world were played here.
“It’s definitely a great surface. It’s not too warm here, not too cold, it’s ideal to prepare on. “I am surprised with my game considering it’s the first match of the official season. Hopefully I can play another good one tomorrow.”
Ferrer was at sixes and sevens to deal with Djokovic’s range of returns and powerful aces in a devastating first set but gradually improved in the second, forcing a more competitive finale.
The exhibition tournament at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex, where Djokovic triumphed last year, was the ideal way for him to warm up for the upcoming defence of his Australian Open title. The Serb breezed through the early exchanges, quickly taking advantage of a clutch of uncharacteristic errors from Ferrer to find himself leading 5-0 within 20 minutes.
Ferrer discovered some of the dynamism that took him past Tomas Berdych on Thursday to race 40-0 ahead in the final game of the first set. The advantage exchanged hands three times but Djokovic was celebrating when his opponent lost concentration to send a forehand well beyond the baseline.
Ferrer got to deuce on Djokovic’s serve at the start of the second set but the world No1 edged through. Ferrer sharpened up his strokes to hold serve for the first time before breaking to love but again Djokovic recovered, surviving an intense 10th game to break straight back.
Djokovic forced the score to 5-2 despite Ferrer’s renewed determination to force a third set. Ferrer easily held serve but Djokovic promptly served out the match to book a final meeting with Nicolás Almagro or Janko Tipsarevic.
An out-of-sorts Ferrer added: “He’s the best. I tried but I couldn’t do it. Next time I will try again. I won three games but to beat Nole I need to play my best tennis and today wasn’t a good day.”
Djokovic also believes he can become only the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time in 2013 having come so agonisingly close last season.
“I won the last big tournament of the year in London (the ATP World Tour Finals) and I am hoping that I can continue playing well,” said Djokovic.
“So my ambitions are always high. I want to win every Grand Slam that I play.”
The five-time major winner added: “Roland Garros is always at the top of my priority list and ambitions. It’s the only slam I haven’t won. I played in the final, which is a step further than ever before.”
Djokovic won the Australian Open in 2012, was runner-up to Nadal at the French while also losing a five-set US Open final to Andy Murray. He was a semi-final loser to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. In New York and London he had been defending champion.
Djokovic will now meet world number 11 Almagro in today’s final after the Spanish number three beat another Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, 2-6 7-6(3) 6-2.
Almagro was a last-minute entrant after compatriot Rafael Nadal withdrew with a stomach illness. The world number four subsequently withdrew from next month’s Australian Open. “Please support me tomorrow because I am going to need it,” Almagro told the crowd.