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Monfils, Gasquet also advance
Novak Djokovic hit 15 matches unbeaten in 2020 on Wednesday by reaching the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarter-finals.
The World No. 1, who is aiming to capture his fifth title at The Aviation Club in Dubai, was never troubled in a 6-3, 6-1 victory over German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber in just 59 minutes.
“It was a great performance,” said Djokovic. “I enjoyed the way I played, coming out with the right focus and tactics. Knowing Philipp beat me 12 months ago in Indian Wells, I needed to approach this match very seriously regardless of his ranking [No. 80]. He is one of the most experienced players on the tour and likes to play on the big stage, so he doesn’t falter too much.”
Djokovic, who is now 38-6 lifetime at the ATP 500-level hard-court tournament, hit 12 of his 23 total winners off his forehand wing and committed just 10 unforced errors. He won all 10 of his points at the net.
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Djokovic gave 36-year-old Kohlschreiber the run around in the sixth game of the first set, breaking for a 4-2 advantage with a forehand winner. Djokovic clinched the 31-minute opener when Kohlschreiber flicked a backhand crosscourt wide.
From 5-3 in the first set, Djokovic won five straight games — including breaks of serve in the first (with a forehand winner) and third (backhand winner) games of the second set. He completed the victory with a forehand return winner.
The 32-year-old Djokovic will next play seventh-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov, who defeated Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak 6-3, 6-4 in 74 minutes. Djokovic leads Khachanov 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.
“I’ve had some interesting battles with him,” said Djokovic, looking ahead to the Khachanov match. “He is a great guy, a very powerful player. He is one of the guys who is a contender to be Top 5, Top 10. He is very dedicated, so hopefully I’ll be as sharp as I have been in the past two matches and start well.”
Djokovic’s best start to a season was in 2011 when he went 41-0 before losing to Roger Federer in the Roland Garros semi-finals.

In the final match of the day, third seed Gael Monfils extended his winning streak to a career-best 11 matches after beating qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-1, 6-2 in 66 minutes. Monfils, who has won his past two tournaments at the Open Sud de France (d. Pospisil) and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (d. Auger-Aliassime), will next face fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who improved to 8-2 lifetime against Benoit Paire after beating his eighth-seeded compatriot 6-4, 6-4 in 81 minutes.

Serbian says the Big Three is part of a WhatsApp group
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic confirmed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships the existence of what is the most exclusive group chat in tennis and perhaps all of sports.
Djokovic told Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport in an interview at the ATP 500 event that he is part of a WhatsApp group with the other two members of the Big Three — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“We are all active and we are not active. When we’re not active, we’re not active. But when we are, everybody responds,” Djokovic said, cracking a laugh. “We get along very well. I think there is a tremendous respect for each other privately and also professionally, so as long as this is the case I think everybody benefits from that, also the sport.”
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Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group chat like that? There are plenty of tennis and sports fans around the world who would want to know what they are saying.
Recently, Federer and Nadal might have been congratulating Djokovic on his red-hot start to the season. The Serbian has won his first 14 matches of 2020, leading Team Serbia to ATP Cup glory and capturing a record-extending eighth Australian Open title along the way.
Djokovic’s 14-0 start is his best start to a season since 2016 (at 14-0) and if he goes 15-0, it will be his beginning of a campaign since 2013 at 17-0. In 2011, Djokovic won his first 41 matches of the year.
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“I adjust every single season, every single year to the changes that I experience as a person and as a player. I don't believe in such thing as stagnation or comfort zone. I don't think that the comfort zone exists really. You're constantly challenged on every level I think every single day,” Djokovic said after beating Malek Jaziri on Monday in his Dubai opener. “I am continuously trying with my team to come up with different ways of training, approaching things like recovery or mental training, emotional training. I think a combination of all these different elements gives you the formula for success.
“Obviously hasn't worked always perfectly, but I understand and I accept that I'm flawed as everybody else. I think being conscious of that, trying to work on yourself… the internal work is the biggest work you possibly could do.
“Of course, I still spend a lot of time on the court, in the gym. You have to. There's certain things you have to do obviously physically, but you can do a lot of things mentally, emotionally, which allow you to be in that flow state, allow you to be in your peak performance every single match.”
Djokovic will next face German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated him at Indian Wells last year.

Serbian to face Tsitsipas in final

Novak Djokovic survived a dramatic semi-final encounter with Gael Monfils at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday, saving three consecutive match points to defeat the Frenchman 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-1.

The World No. 1 trailed Monfils 3/6 in the second-set tie-break, but trusted his forehand under pressure before cruising to victory in the final set. Djokovic is through to his sixth Dubai final (4-1) after winning his 40th match in 46 encounters at the ATP 500 event.
“It's like being on the edge of a cliff,” said Djokovic about facing match points. “You know there is no way back so you have to jump over and try to find a way to survive I guess and pray for the best and believe that you can make it, that there is something that is going to help you.

“That's one of the things that I feel at the moment. Okay, one point away, one shot away. There is no going back. This is it. I accept the situation and try to make the most out of it.”

Djokovic has now won 20 consecutive matches for the seventh time in his career. The four-time champion also improves to 17-0 this year, building on his title run at the inaugural ATP Cup with Team Serbia and his eighth Australian Open triumph last month.

Novak Djokovic's 20+ Match Win Streaks
Win Streak Year
43 2010-2011
28 2015
28 2013-14
23 2015
22 2018
22 2012-13
20 2019-20

Djokovic improves to 17-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Monfils. Across those 17 meetings, Djokovic has been pushed to a final set on seven occasions. Djokovic has now won 73 of his 75 matches against French opposition since lifting the 2010 Davis Cup title.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion will face Stefanos Tsitsipas for the trophy. Djokovic is tied at 2-2 in his ATP Head2Head series against the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion, who will be competing in his second straight championship match in Dubai.

“It's anybody's game really,” said Djokovic. “He's won eight matches in a row now from last week in France winning [the Marseille] title, now playing more or less every single day, which is quite impressive. It's not easy… I hope I can recover. I hope I can be at my best because I need to start better than I have tonight. Hopefully I can get a title.”

Monfils played with great variety and power to unsettle Djokovic from the baseline in the opening set. The Frenchman stepped in on his returns and overcame the World No. 1 in a series of extended baseline rallies, grabbing the first break of the match in a marathon game at 1-1 as Djokovic missed the court with aggressive groundstrokes. After earning a second service break, the World No. 9 served with confidence to convert his first set point with a powerful serve out wide.

Monfils outmanoeuvred Djokovic at the net and capitalised on further errors from his opponent to claim a break in the third game of the second set. But Djokovic began to lower his error count, playing with greater consistency from the baseline to find his way back into the set.

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Djokovic earned five set points late in the second set, but Monfils played with bravery and commitment to erase each one and reach a tie-break. The Frenchman struck back-to-back winners from 4/3 to earn three consecutive match points. Monfils was unable to take his opportunity, striking two groundstroke errors as Djokovic’s forehand found its range. The World No. 1 trusted the same shot at 8/8 and moved to the net to earn his eighth set point, which was converted as Monfils committed his sixth double fault of the match.

Djokovic charged to the finish line from that point as Monfils began to struggle with his movement. From 0-1 in the decider, Djokovic dropped just five points to claim six consecutive games and a place in the final. The 32-year-old opened and closed the final game with forehand winners to complete the comeback.

“I just wasn't taking my chances when I was having rallies on those [first five] set points. But that kind of turned around from 3/6 in the tie-break. From that moment onwards I felt I was going through the ball better,” said Djokovic.

“Obviously [in the] third set it's hard to measure it because obviously he was injured from the third game of the third set and it wasn't even close to what he played in the first two hours.”

Monfils was aiming to extend his career-best 12-match winning streak. The World No. 9 was seeking his third trophy in as many events, after triumphing indoors at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam earlier this month. Monfils, who came into the tournament third in the ATP Race To London, has put himself in early contention to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Novak Djoković obronił 3 meczbole i w trzech setach pokonał Gaela Monfilsa w półfinale rozgrywanego na kortach twardych turnieju ATP 500 w Dubaju. W finale najwyżej rozstawiony Serb zmierzy się ze Stefanosem Tsitsipasem.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
28 Lutego 2020, 20:35

Novak Djoković
PAP/EPA / MICHAEL DODGE / Na zdjęciu: Novak Djoković


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Gael Monfils jeszcze nigdy nie był tak blisko pokonania Novaka Djokovicia. W 16 poprzednich spotkaniach z Serbem w głównym cyklu Francuz nigdy nie zwyciężył i łącznie zdobył tylko dziewięć setów. W piątek, w półfinale turnieju ATP w Dubaju, znalazł się o punkt od zwycięstwa. Nie wykorzystał jednak trzech piłek meczowych i przegrał 6:2, 6:7(8), 1:6.
Pierwszy set miał zaskakujący przebieg. Aktywnie grający Monfils zaatakował przeciwnika, fantastycznie spisywał się przy returnie, uzyskał dwa przełamania i wygrał partię 6:2. Druga odsłona była huśtawką nastrojów dla obu tenisistów. Francuz prowadził już 3:1, lecz Djoković wyrównał na 3:3. Serb osiągnął nieznaczną przewagę, ale nie mógł jej potwierdzić. W gemach 10. i 12. nie wykorzystał pięciu setboli i doszło do tie breaka.



W rozstrzygającej rozgrywce Monfils wyszedł na prowadzenie 6-3 i miał trzy meczbole, w tym dwa przy własnym podaniu, jednakże wszystkie zmarnował. Następnie to Djoković miał problemy z postawieniem kropki nad "i", nie wykorzystał bowiem dwóch piłek setowych. Ostatecznie szala przechyliła się na stronę Serba, lecz musiał pomóc mu Francuz, który przy trzeciej piłce setowej dla rywala popełnił podwójny błąd serwisowy.

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Po niesamowitym drugim secie w trzecim Djoković kontrolował grę. Serb łatwo wyszedł na prowadzenie 4:1, a Monfils słabł z każdą chwilą. Francuz poprosił o interwencję medyczną z powodu bólu kolana, ale zabiegi fizjoterapeuty nic nie dały. Paryżanin przegrał dwa kolejne gemy i w efekcie całe spotkanie.

Mecz trwał dwie godziny i 35 minut. W tym czasie Djoković zaserwował pięć asów, trzykrotnie został przełamany, wykorzystał cztery z 11 break pointów, posłał 22 zagrania kończące, popełnił 29 niewymuszonych błędów i łącznie zdobył 103 punkty, o osiem więcej od rywala. Monfilsowi z kolei zapisano osiem asów, 32 uderzenia wygrywające oraz 39 pomyłek własnych.


Djoković pozostaje niepokonany w 2020 roku. To jego 17. wygrany mecz z rzędu. Lepszy start sezonu miał jedynie przed dziewięcioma laty, kiedy to wygrał 41 spotkań. Monfils z kolei na 12. zakończył najlepszą w karierze passę kolejnych zwycięskich spotkań. W tym sezonie Francuz rozegrał 19 pojedynków i poniósł trzy porażki, z czego dwie z Serbem (uległ mu także w styczniu w ATP Cup).

Dla Djokovicia to 113. finał turnieju rangi ATP Tour. Jeśli wygra, zdobędzie 79. tytuł. W tym sezonie triumfował w Australian Open, a z reprezentacją Serbii wywalczył ATP Cup. O tytuł w Dubaju zagra po raz szósty. Wygrał tę imprezę w latach 2009-11 i 2013, a w 2015 przegrał decydujące spotkanie z Rogerem Federerem.

O tytuł tegorocznej edycji Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (w sobotę o godz. 16:00 czasu polskiego) Djoković powalczy ze Stefanosem Tsitsipasem. Będzie to piąty mecz w głównym cyklu pomiędzy tymi tenisistami. Bilans jest remisowy (2-2). Ostatnio zmierzyli się w listopadzie zeszłego roku w ćwierćfinale imprezy ATP Masters 1000 w Paryżu i wówczas belgradczyk zwyciężył 6:1, 6:2.

Tsitsipas natomiast drugi raz z rzędu dotarł do finału w Dubaju (przed rokiem przegrał z Federerem). W spotkaniu 1/2 finału z Danielem Evansem Grek ani razu nie dał się przełamać, sam uzyskał cztery breaki i po 81 minutach rywalizacji pokonał Brytyjczyka 6:2, 6:3.


Dla 21-letniego Tsitsipasa to ósmy wygrany mecz z rzędu. Zameldował się zarazem w 11. finale cyklu ATP Tour. W sobotę stanie przed szansą na szósty tytuł, a drugi w ciągu sześciu dni (w niedzielę zdobył trofeum w Marsylii).

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubaj (Zjednoczone Emiraty Arabskie)
ATP Tour 500, kort twardy, pula nagród 2,794 mln dolarów
czwartek, 27 lutego

półfinał gry pojedynczej:

Novak Djoković (Serbia, 1) - Gael Monfils (Francja, 3) 2:6, 7:6(8), 6:1
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Grecja, 2) - Daniel Evans (Wielka Brytania) 6:2, 6:3

World No. 1 extends winning streak to 21 matches

Novak Djokovic continued his unbeaten start to the 2020 ATP Tour season on Saturday, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to claim his fifth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

One day after saving three consecutive match points to beat Gael Monfils in a dramatic semi-final, Djokovic raised his level and converted each of his three break points to win his 21st straight match. Djokovic has won each of the 18 encounters he has contested this season, winning 43 of 49 sets.

Djokovic continues to impress in 2020, having also lifted the inaugural ATP Cup with Team Serbia and a record-extending eighth Australian Open title last month. With his first Dubai trophy since 2013, Djokovic improves to 5-1 in finals at the ATP 500 event. Only Roger Federer, in 2015, has beaten the World No. 1 in a Dubai final.

This is the first time that a No. 1 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed at this tournament. In each of the previous four contests between the event’s Top 2 seeds, the second seed has lifted the trophy.

Top 2 Seeds In Dubai Final

Year Result
2020 [1] Djokovic d. [2] Tsitsipas
2015 [2] Federer d. [1] Djokovic
2011 [2] Djokovic d. [1] Federer
2006 [2] Nadal d. [1] Federer
1997 [2] Muster d. [1] Ivanisevic
Tsitsipas was attempting to capture his first Dubai title in his second straight final at the tournament. The Marseille champion, who entered this year’s final on an eight-match winning streak, fell to Roger Federer in last year’s championship match.

Djokovic receives 500 FedEx ATP Ranking points and earns $565,705 in prize money. Tsitsipas gains 300 ATP Ranking points and collects $284,485.