Related News
Djokovic struggles to China win, Ferrer retires
Source: AFP |
October 3, 2012, Wednesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
NOVAK Djokovic made a rusty return to action at the China Open yesterday, as second seed David Ferrer retired with illness and women's world number one Victoria Azarenka stormed into the third round.
The Serbian world number two, playing his first match since losing last month's US Open final to Andy Murray, beat German qualifier Michael Berrer 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 in the men's first round, but the performance was far from impressive.
Djokovic, 25, took the first set with ease but lost the second on a tie-break after hitting several unforced errors against the 123rd-ranked left-hander, before improving his groundstrokes for the decider.
"I had a tough time to really return his serve in the second (set), because he went for precision more than the speed of his first serves," Djokovic said.
"He had a very high percentage of first serves in and he put a lot of pressure on my serves. I tried to stay closer to the line in the third, and it worked."
The number one seed has won China's Open on the two occasions he has entered, in 2009 and 2010, but missed last year because of injury.
Elsewhere, Spain's Ferrer retired due to illness during the first set of his match against Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun, and third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France battled to a three-set victory over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
The world number seven lost the first set but came back to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3).
Tsonga's countryman Julien Benneteau, who lost in the final of the Malaysian Open just two days ago, was also forced to retire two games into the second set, handing Italy's Andreas Seppi an easy route to the second round.
The Serbian world number two, playing his first match since losing last month's US Open final to Andy Murray, beat German qualifier Michael Berrer 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 in the men's first round, but the performance was far from impressive.
Djokovic, 25, took the first set with ease but lost the second on a tie-break after hitting several unforced errors against the 123rd-ranked left-hander, before improving his groundstrokes for the decider.
"I had a tough time to really return his serve in the second (set), because he went for precision more than the speed of his first serves," Djokovic said.
"He had a very high percentage of first serves in and he put a lot of pressure on my serves. I tried to stay closer to the line in the third, and it worked."
The number one seed has won China's Open on the two occasions he has entered, in 2009 and 2010, but missed last year because of injury.
Elsewhere, Spain's Ferrer retired due to illness during the first set of his match against Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun, and third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France battled to a three-set victory over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
The world number seven lost the first set but came back to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3).
Tsonga's countryman Julien Benneteau, who lost in the final of the Malaysian Open just two days ago, was also forced to retire two games into the second set, handing Italy's Andreas Seppi an easy route to the second round.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
