The Serbian World No. 3 Novak Djokovic went toe-to-toe with the French crowd as they booed him for taking a medical timeout after winning the second set against the Spanish World No. 29 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Serbian went on to take the crowd’s booing as an energy booster as he dispatched the Spanish in the third set, giving away just two games. The final score was 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
It is not unusual for Djokovic to dwell on the negativity he faces. He is one of the most hated players on the tour, but still, the Serbian goes against everything to keep up his mentality and tighten his grip on the crucial moments of a match. During the clutch moment, he shows his greatness even when playing at a below-normal level.
Djokovic had his thigh consoled during the medical timeout but the injury didn’t feel anything serious since he played at an even better level in the third set. Djokovic hates to play during windy conditions. This was evident in his game during the first two sets of the match against the Spanish.
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Who can stop Novak Djokovic in the French Open?
The Serbian, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will face Russian world No. 11 Karen Khachanov in the fourth round. Considering the form and fitness of the Serbian superstar, it will be a comfortable match for him. The only test, at least according to ranking and form, for Djokovic this year will be a much-anticipated semi-final against Spanish World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
With the Russian World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev already out of the tournament, Alcaraz and the Danish World No. 6 Holger Rune, who has a 2-1 head-to-head record against the Serbian, are looked upon as the threats for Novak Djokovic this year in the absence of Rafael Nadal, against whom he has lost eight times..
In the absence of the tournament’s greatest champion and King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, this year’s French Open has been wide open for the players. It will be interesting to see whether the young guns can stop two-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic this year.
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