Novak Djokovic has opened up on why he chose to return to Adelaide for his Australian Open preparation ahead of his first hit-out down under this week.
Djokovic won the Adelaide International as a 19-year-old in 2007 for his third ATP Tour title and is a part of a star-studded men’s draw in this year’s tournament.
“I chose Adelaide because I wanted to get a tournament ahead of Australian Open,” Djokovic told reporters this week. “I wanted a normal 250 event.
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“Judging by the list of players that are playing in a 250 event it’s not really 250 event. It’s maybe a 500 event or maybe a 1000. Some of the best players in the world playing here, both men and women’s side.”
“The field is super strong. You have Medvedev, Felix, Rublev. You have really, really top guys. Also in the opening rounds you can play Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is title defender, right?”
Kokkinakis, for his part, said he was laying low ahead of his title defence in his home town.
”There’s pressure on because everyone’s like, ‘Defending champion; can he do it again?’. I don’t think they realise how hard that is. That’s my best tournament ever,” he told The Age.
“It’s happened in I don’t know how many years of tennis I’ve played, so it’s not about, ‘Yeah, I’ll defend it, no worries’.
“Djokovic is playing, [and he’s the] best-ever, or one of the best-ever. It’s a crazy field, but I always love the support when I come down here.”
In the women’s draw, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu has rallied to beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 in a clash of Grand Slam champions Sunday in the first round.
The 2019 US Open champion Andreescu trailed 0-6, 2-5 before staging a remarkable comeback to beat two-time major titlist Muguruza in two hours, 12 minutes. Andreescu improved her head-to-head record against former top-ranked Muguruza to 3-0.
“In the second set I really had to change my gameplan,” Andreescu said. “I told myself to go for it (and) whatever happens happens.
“I put more returns in the court, more serves in the court. I’m so glad I pulled that out. I have no idea how.”
Muguruza looked in outstanding form in the first set, hitting eight winners to two and converting three of five break points while not facing a break point herself.
Andreescu started the second set more strongly but Muguruza nailed a forehand winner to lead 4-2 and served for a 5-2 lead. Muguruza served for the match at 5-3 but Andreescu averted that danger and took a crucial 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker with a backhand down the line, before closing out the set with an ace.
Andreescu served well, then broke for 3-1 in the final set. She will now play either No.4 seed Veronika Kudermetova or Amanda Anisimova in the second round.
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