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Novak Djokovic got the job done against Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets but afterward spoke extremely highly of the Dutchman's game. On Wednesday, top-seeded Djokovic ousted 39th-ranked Griekspoor 6-2 6-3 in the Dubai round-of-16.
A day earlier, Djokovic edged out Tomas Machac via a third-set tie-break. “It’s been a great evening for me tonight. Yesterday I really had to work hard to get a win. Tonight, right from the blocks, I think I was sharp.
I played definitely better-quality tennis than I did last night. Maybe the last three or four games weren’t the best to close the match, but I managed to find a good serve in the end. I’m very pleased with the performance and with the way I felt on the court, and hopefully things can go in the right direction for tomorrow," Djokovic said after the match, per the ATP website.
Djokovic praises Griekspoor: He has a lot of firepower in his game
“He’s got a lot of firepower in his game. His serve and forehand, those are two of his favourite shots. He tries to dictate the points from the back of the court with the forehand, and I knew that I had to take the time away from him," Djokovic said of Griekspoor.
Djokovic got off to a fast start against Griekspoor as he claimed an early break and a 3-0 lead. In the eighth game - when Griekspoor was serving to stay in the first set - Djokovic earned his second break to seal the opener.
After easily winning the first set, Djokovic made an even better start to the second set, earning back-to-back breaks for a 5-0 lead. Up 5-0 in the second set, Djokovic had two match points on Griekspoor's serve but the Dutchman saved them to cut the deficit to 5-1.
In the seventh game, Djokovic failed to serve out for the match as Griekspoor managed to get one break back. Djokovic maybe didn't manage to serve out for the match in his first attempt but made no mistake in his second attempt in the ninth game. Djokovic now has a 2-0 head-to-head against Griekspoor.