Daria Kasatkina cites Novak Djokovic’s example as stratagem to progress and win in big tournaments

Daria Kasatkina thinks that she can emulate Novak Djokovic in major tournaments. She can play some decent matches and up her game on important occasions.


Daria Kasatkina cites Novak Djokovic’s example as stratagem to progress and win in big tournaments

Novak Djokovic and Daria Kasatkina

Daria Kasatkina had a decent 2022 season. She won two WTA titles and reached till the semi-final round of the Roland Garros 2022. She also achieved World No.8 ranking in October last year which she has been able to hold on ever since. But despite these wonderful performances last season, she has not been able to win a major tournament.

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In a recent interview, she gave reasons for her failures in the Grand Slams over the course of last season. She admits that she cannot play her best at each and every level on every day. However, she needs to find ways to win her matches on such days. She elaborated upon this point by examining her performance in the French Open 2022.

I can’t say that I felt particularly good or that I delivered incredible matches at Roland‐Garros. No, I had decent matches, but maybe that was the best thing that could have happened to me,” she said.

She also gave the example of 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to reason her outlook and thinking.

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Novak Djokovic wins most of his tournaments like this. Sometimes he has to pull off the big game in the first round or in the final, but most of the time he is content to play decent matches,” she added further.

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Daria Kasatkina’s performances this season

Daria Kasatkina (Image Credit: EuroSport)
Daria Kasatkina (Image Credit: EuroSport)

The World No.8 started her 2023 season by participating in the 2023 Adelaide International 1 tournament. Here, she lost to Linda Noskova in the first round. However, Daria Kasatkina put up a better show at the 2023 Adelaide International 2 tournament. She defeated Barbora Krejcikova, Petra Kvitova, and Paula Badosa in the previous rounds to storm into the final. However, her winning run was stopped by Belinda Bencic who defeated the Russian 6-0, 6-2.

Her campaign in the Australian Open 2023 short-lived as she was defeated by unseeded Varvara Gracheva 1-6, 1-6 in the first-round of the tournament. It was a major upset so early in the first Grand Slam of the season.

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She then participated in the Abu Dhabi Open 2023. She was seeded #1 for this tournament. However, she had to struggle to beat Jil Teichmann 1-6, 6-0, 6-2 to win in the first round. However, she was beaten by Qinwen Zheng in the second-round of the same tournament.

She last played in Doha at the ongoing Qatar Ladies Open 2023. Here she struggled to find her form and rhythm as she huffed and puffed to win her first round match against Rebecca Marino 7(7)-6(5), 6-2. However, she lost her second-round match against Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6, 6(7)-7(9).

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