At the Brisbane International on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic of Serbia advanced comfortably to the second round, defeating Australian wild-card entry Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3.
A day after starting his season with a doubles victory alongside former rival turned friend Nick Kyrgios at the ATP 250 event, Djokovic dominated the singles court. He clinched the first set 6-3 with an ace, showcasing his formidable service game.
Home favorite Hijikata put up a spirited fight but ultimately lacked the arsenal to challenge the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Djokovic secured a crucial break for a 4-3 lead in the second set and maintained his momentum to close out the match.
In the second round, Djokovic will face Gael Monfils of France. Djokovic holds a commanding record over Monfils, having won all 19 of their previous encounters.
In the women’s draw, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus began her season with a straight-sets victory over Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.
Sabalenka broke early for a 2-0 lead in the first set and displayed resilience by saving a break point with a powerful forehand winner.
Zarazua held serve to level at 4-4, but Sabalenka broke again to take the first set 6-4.
The second set saw Sabalenka dominate completely, sweeping through to win 6-0. She will next face Kazakhstan’s 15th seed Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16.
Reference(s):
Djokovic eases past Hijikata, Sabalenka beats Zarazua in Brisbane
cgtn.com
