Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an early fright to fend off British teenager Jack Draper 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and launch his quest for a sixth title as Wimbledon returned after a two-year absence on Monday.

The first match on Centre Court since Djokovic's nailbiting victory over Roger Federer in the 2019 final -- 716 days ago -- was a classic David versus Goliath clash.

And while there was to be no dream Grand Slam debut for 19-year-old Draper, the match proved the perfect way to bring Centre Court back to life after it's enforced silence.

Djokovic has never lost a Grand Slam match to a player ranked as low as world number 253 Draper, but looked a little stunned as he struggled to find his footing on the greasy turf and contain the fearless hitting of the Briton.

Grand Slam main draw debutant Draper broke serve in the third game and made a mockery of his inexperience to win the opening set to huge roars from the crowd.

Twice Djokovic found himself on his backside in the first set and with the roof closed because of the rain that delayed play on the outside courts, the stage looked perfect for a Wimbledon shock of monumental proportions.

But Djokovic is not a 19-times Grand Slam champion for nothing and the Serb quickly snuffed out the danger, levelling the match by dominating a 26-minute second set.

When Draper completely missed an overhead to drop serve in the second set, Djokovic roared in relief.

From that point on it was straightforward enough for Djokovic who looked immaculate as he completed his victory.

"It feels great seeing everyone and being back on the most sacred tennis court in the world," Djokovic, who is bidding to win a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title, said on court.

"It was very sad last year that Wimbledon was cancelled but really glad the sport is back."

Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an early fright to fend off British teenager Jack Draper 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and launch his quest for a sixth title as Wimbledon returned after a two-year absence on Monday.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an early fright to fend off British teenager Jack Draper 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and launch his quest for a sixth title as Wimbledon returned after a two-year absence on Monday. The first match on Centre Court since Djokovic's nailbiting victory over Roger Federer in the 2019 final -- 716 days ago -- was a classic David versus Goliath clash. And while there was to be no dream Grand Slam debut for 19-year-old Draper, the match proved the perfect way to bring Centre Court back to life after it's enforced silence. Djokovic has never lost a Grand Slam match to a player ranked as low as world number 253 Draper, but looked a little stunned as he struggled to find his footing on the greasy turf and contain the fearless hitting of the Briton. Grand Slam main draw debutant Draper broke serve in the third game and made a mockery of his inexperience to win the opening set to huge roars from the crowd. Twice Djokovic found himself on his backside in the first set and with the roof closed because of the rain that delayed play on the outside courts, the stage looked perfect for a Wimbledon shock of monumental proportions. But Djokovic is not a 19-times Grand Slam champion for nothing and the Serb quickly snuffed out the danger, levelling the match by dominating a 26-minute second set. When Draper completely missed an overhead to drop serve in the second set, Djokovic roared in relief. From that point on it was straightforward enough for Djokovic who looked immaculate as he completed his victory. "It feels great seeing everyone and being back on the most sacred tennis court in the world," Djokovic, who is bidding to win a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title, said on court. "It was very sad last year that Wimbledon was cancelled but really glad the sport is back."

Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic avoids shock as Centre Court comes back to life

All the men`s Big Three moved on at the French Open on Thursday as top seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal both claimed straight-set wins while Swiss great Roger Federer dropped one set but went through Marrin Cilic`s test to advance.

Third seed Nadal delivered a clinical performance against local player Richard Gasquet to celebrate his 35th birthday with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 win.

"I respect (him because) I know how good Richard is," Nadal said.

"I know he`s coming back after a tough period of time. I think he played smart, played aggressive. I just went on court with highest respect, with the highest focus possible, and that`s what I try to do every day against everyone."

Nadal improved his overwhelming record against Gasquet to 17-0, which is one of the most lopsided head-to-heads in Open Era history.

The King of Clay will next face Brit Cameron Norrie, who came from one set down to defeat South Africa`s Lloyd Harris in an earlier match. As Nadal is aiming to win his 21st Grand Slam title to break the tie with Federer and take sole ownership of the all-time record for most Grand Slam men`s singles titles, his arch-rival also had the same goal.

Eighth-seeded Federer held his nerve in a tough four-setter to dispatch former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach the third round.

"I feel like I surprised myself a little bit. I didn`t expect myself to play that well or to have the energy left at the end like this and being able to keep on serving so consistently at the end was great," said the 39-year-old Federer, who is the eldest men`s singles player in the main draw at Roland Garros.

World No.1 Djokovic secured a comfortable victory 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in his first career meeting with Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas to clinch a last 32 spot in Paris for a 16th consecutive year.

The Serbian, bidding for a second clay-court major title and 19th in total, was drawn in the same half with Nadal and Federer, which means only one of the Big Three could make it into the final.

On the women`s side, top seed and 2019 Roland Garros champion Ashleigh Barty was forced to retire during her second-round match against Magda Linett. The Australian World No.1 was unable to continue playing due to a left hip injury when trailed by 6-1, 2-2 in the match with Linett.

"It`s heartbreaking. I mean, we have had such a brilliant clay-court season, and to kind of get a little bit unlucky with timing more than anything to have something kind of acute happen over the weekend and just kind of run out of time against the clock is disappointing," said the 25-year-old, who arrived in Paris in good form with a title in Stuttgart and a final-appearance in Madrid.

Karolina Pliskova was the other high-ranked seed player who suffered a second-round exit on Thursday, as the ninth seed was defeated by former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 in just an hour and a half.&nbsp;

All the men`s Big Three moved on at the French Open on Thursday as top seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal both claimed straight-set wins while Swiss great Roger Federer dropped one set but went through Marrin Cilic`s test to advance.

All the men`s Big Three moved on at the French Open on Thursday as top seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal both claimed straight-set wins while Swiss great Roger Federer dropped one set but went through Marrin Cilic`s test to advance. Third seed Nadal delivered a clinical performance against local player Richard Gasquet to celebrate his 35th birthday with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 win. "I respect (him because) I know how good Richard is," Nadal said. "I know he`s coming back after a tough period of time. I think he played smart, played aggressive. I just went on court with highest respect, with the highest focus possible, and that`s what I try to do every day against everyone." Nadal improved his overwhelming record against Gasquet to 17-0, which is one of the most lopsided head-to-heads in Open Era history. The King of Clay will next face Brit Cameron Norrie, who came from one set down to defeat South Africa`s Lloyd Harris in an earlier match. As Nadal is aiming to win his 21st Grand Slam title to break the tie with Federer and take sole ownership of the all-time record for most Grand Slam men`s singles titles, his arch-rival also had the same goal. Eighth-seeded Federer held his nerve in a tough four-setter to dispatch former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach the third round. "I feel like I surprised myself a little bit. I didn`t expect myself to play that well or to have the energy left at the end like this and being able to keep on serving so consistently at the end was great," said the 39-year-old Federer, who is the eldest men`s singles player in the main draw at Roland Garros. World No.1 Djokovic secured a comfortable victory 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in his first career meeting with Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas to clinch a last 32 spot in Paris for a 16th consecutive year. The Serbian, bidding for a second clay-court major title and 19th in total, was drawn in the same half with Nadal and Federer, which means only one of the Big Three could make it into the final. On the women`s side, top seed and 2019 Roland Garros champion Ashleigh Barty was forced to retire during her second-round match against Magda Linett. The Australian World No.1 was unable to continue playing due to a left hip injury when trailed by 6-1, 2-2 in the match with Linett. "It`s heartbreaking. I mean, we have had such a brilliant clay-court season, and to kind of get a little bit unlucky with timing more than anything to have something kind of acute happen over the weekend and just kind of run out of time against the clock is disappointing," said the 25-year-old, who arrived in Paris in good form with a title in Stuttgart and a final-appearance in Madrid. Karolina Pliskova was the other high-ranked seed player who suffered a second-round exit on Thursday, as the ninth seed was defeated by former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 in just an hour and a half.

French Open: Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic progress, Barty retires with injury

The 'Big Three' of men's tennis have found some "fresh energy" to thwart the charge of younger players on the tour, world number one Novak Djokovic said after setting up yet another title clash against his biggest rival against Rafa Nadal.

The last four ATP Masters 1000 events, the most prestigious tournaments outside the Grand Slams, have been won by players outside the grouping of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer.

But it will be top seed Djokovic facing second seed Nadal at the Foro Italico on Sunday for the Rome Masters title in a 57th career meeting between the duo, with the Serbian leading 29-27.

"Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against (Stefanos) Tsitsipas," Djokovic, 33, told reporters after his semi-final win against local favourite Lorenzo Sonego.

"We kind of joked around that the old guys are still not giving up. I saw he said somewhere a few days ago that Roger, him and I are old, but I disagree with him. I think we're showing some different, fresh energy.

"We had a laugh about it...I'm really glad that we are showing we're not backing off from the NextGenATP attacks."

Russian Daniil Medvedev, 25, won the ATP Finals and the Paris Masters titles last year and has already displaced the 34-year-old Nadal from second spot in the rankings.

Hubert Hurkacz, Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have won the three Masters events this year with Greek Tsitsipas the youngest of them, at 22.

But Djokovic and Nadal will return to the Masters winners' circle on Sunday, having survived some stern tests during their previous rounds in Rome.

"It's great to play him again in the final," Djokovic said of the 20-times major winner. "He's the guy that I have encountered the most in my career. Definitely my biggest rival of all time.

"Playing him on clay in the finals of one of the biggest tournaments in the world is always extra motivating for me. Even after all we have been through in our careers, there's still this excitement when we have to face each other."

The 'Big Three' of men's tennis have found some "fresh energy" to thwart the charge of younger players on the tour, world number one Novak Djokovic said after setting up yet another title clash against his biggest rival against Rafa Nadal.

The 'Big Three' of men's tennis have found some "fresh energy" to thwart the charge of younger players on the tour, world number one Novak Djokovic said after setting up yet another title clash against his biggest rival against Rafa Nadal. The last four ATP Masters 1000 events, the most prestigious tournaments outside the Grand Slams, have been won by players outside the grouping of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer. But it will be top seed Djokovic facing second seed Nadal at the Foro Italico on Sunday for the Rome Masters title in a 57th career meeting between the duo, with the Serbian leading 29-27. "Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against (Stefanos) Tsitsipas," Djokovic, 33, told reporters after his semi-final win against local favourite Lorenzo Sonego. "We kind of joked around that the old guys are still not giving up. I saw he said somewhere a few days ago that Roger, him and I are old, but I disagree with him. I think we're showing some different, fresh energy. "We had a laugh about it...I'm really glad that we are showing we're not backing off from the NextGenATP attacks." Russian Daniil Medvedev, 25, won the ATP Finals and the Paris Masters titles last year and has already displaced the 34-year-old Nadal from second spot in the rankings. Hubert Hurkacz, Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have won the three Masters events this year with Greek Tsitsipas the youngest of them, at 22. But Djokovic and Nadal will return to the Masters winners' circle on Sunday, having survived some stern tests during their previous rounds in Rome. "It's great to play him again in the final," Djokovic said of the 20-times major winner. "He's the guy that I have encountered the most in my career. Definitely my biggest rival of all time. "Playing him on clay in the finals of one of the biggest tournaments in the world is always extra motivating for me. Even after all we have been through in our careers, there's still this excitement when we have to face each other."

'Big Three' getting old? Novak Djokovic doesn't think so

Novak&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;and Rafael&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;begin&nbsp;their clay court seasons in&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo&nbsp;this week, seeded to meet in the final which would likely be a dress rehearsal for another title showdown at&nbsp;Roland&nbsp;Garros&nbsp;in June.

Djokovic&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;haven't played since the delayed Australian Open in February where the world number one Serb claimed his ninth Melbourne title and 18th career major.

He has also since surpassed Roger Federer's record for weeks at number one and will start a 316th week on top of the world from Monday.

Djokovic&nbsp;is a two-time champion in&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo&nbsp;but has not got beyond the quarter-finals since his most recent title in 2015.

Nadal, who won a 13th&nbsp;Roland&nbsp;Garros&nbsp;title and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam by beating&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;in the Paris final in October, is chasing a 12th triumph in&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo.

There are concerns over the lingering back problem&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;is carrying ahead of a gruelling clay court season which peaks at the French Open from May 30.

Nadal&nbsp;has 71-5 record in&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo&nbsp;where he has fallen short of the quarter-finals just once -- on his debut in 2003 as a 16-year-old.

Since the Australian Open,&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;has been replaced as world number two by Russia's Daniil Medvedev.

The Australian Open runner-up was the first player outside the 'Big Four' of&nbsp;Djokovic,&nbsp;Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to reach number two in the world since Australia's Lleyton Hewitt&nbsp;in July 2005.

However, he is wary of his chances on clay.

His 10 career titles have all come on hard courts while he has never won a match at&nbsp;Roland&nbsp;Garros&nbsp;in four visits.

"Maybe in 2050 I'll manage to get past the first round at&nbsp;Roland&nbsp;Garros," the mercurial Russian joked.

Missing from the&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo&nbsp;line-up is Roger Federer who last played in the Principality in 2016 and has never won the tournament.

Federer, who will be 40 in August, only returned to the tour in Qatar in February after 13 months on the sidelines to recover from two knee surgeries.

The veteran Swiss plans to make his 2021 clay court bow in Madrid in the first week of May.

Also missing is world number four Dominic Thiem who, like&nbsp;Djokovic,&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;and Federer, skipped the Miami Masters recently as he was "not at 100%".

The two-time runner-up to&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;at&nbsp;Roland&nbsp;Garros&nbsp;opted instead to stay in Austria to practice on clay.

The 2020&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo&nbsp;Masters was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic while this year's event will be behind closed doors.

Top seed&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;faces a tough start in&nbsp;Monte&nbsp;Carlo.

After an opening round bye, he will face in-form teenager Jannik Sinner if the Italian gets past Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Nadal&nbsp;and Medvedev are in the opposite half of the draw.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal begin their clay court seasons in Monte Carlo this week, seeded to meet in the final which would likely be a dress rehearsal for another title showdown at Roland Garros in June.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal begin their clay court seasons in Monte Carlo this week, seeded to meet in the final which would likely be a dress rehearsal for another title showdown at Roland Garros in June. Djokovic and Nadal haven't played since the delayed Australian Open in February where the world number one Serb claimed his ninth Melbourne title and 18th career major. He has also since surpassed Roger Federer's record for weeks at number one and will start a 316th week on top of the world from Monday. Djokovic is a two-time champion in Monte Carlo but has not got beyond the quarter-finals since his most recent title in 2015. Nadal, who won a 13th Roland Garros title and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam by beating Djokovic in the Paris final in October, is chasing a 12th triumph in Monte Carlo. There are concerns over the lingering back problem Nadal is carrying ahead of a gruelling clay court season which peaks at the French Open from May 30. Nadal has 71-5 record in Monte Carlo where he has fallen short of the quarter-finals just once -- on his debut in 2003 as a 16-year-old. Since the Australian Open, Nadal has been replaced as world number two by Russia's Daniil Medvedev. The Australian Open runner-up was the first player outside the 'Big Four' of Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to reach number two in the world since Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005. However, he is wary of his chances on clay. His 10 career titles have all come on hard courts while he has never won a match at Roland Garros in four visits. "Maybe in 2050 I'll manage to get past the first round at Roland Garros," the mercurial Russian joked. Missing from the Monte Carlo line-up is Roger Federer who last played in the Principality in 2016 and has never won the tournament. Federer, who will be 40 in August, only returned to the tour in Qatar in February after 13 months on the sidelines to recover from two knee surgeries. The veteran Swiss plans to make his 2021 clay court bow in Madrid in the first week of May. Also missing is world number four Dominic Thiem who, like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, skipped the Miami Masters recently as he was "not at 100%". The two-time runner-up to Nadal at Roland Garros opted instead to stay in Austria to practice on clay. The 2020 Monte Carlo Masters was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic while this year's event will be behind closed doors. Top seed Djokovic faces a tough start in Monte Carlo. After an opening round bye, he will face in-form teenager Jannik Sinner if the Italian gets past Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Nadal and Medvedev are in the opposite half of the draw.

Djokovic, Nadal begin road to Roland Garros in Monte Carlo

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic on Tuesday claimed that most players on the ATP Tour "don't want" the season to continue if the strict quarantines are required before tournaments as it's not something they are used to.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/muchova-stuns-top-seed-barty-to-make-australian-open-semi-finals-364190" hreflang="en">Muchova stuns top seed Barty to make Australian Open semi-finals</a>

While talking to reporters after defeating Zverev in the quarter-finals of Australian Open, Djokovic said: "What we are seeing is not normal. It's not something we are used to. Top players are the ones that are fittest. It has been proven in the past that that's the case," Djokovic, who has been playing with an abdominal injury suffered in his third-round match against Taylor Fritz, told reporters.

According to the world number one, a spate of injuries amongst top players could be down to the strange preparations.

"Now you have (Matteo) Berrettini, even Rafa (Nadal) coming in with a back injury, myself, Sascha (Zverev), as well, struggled, (Grigor) Dimitrov. I mean, obviously it has something to do with these kind of circumstances that we were in.

"We are hoping that it's temporary. But talking to a lot of players, the majority don't want to go ahead with the season if we have to quarantine before most of the tournaments."

Tennis players have been following strict guidelines since last year's French Open, and US Open. The Serbian, who formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) last year, said the Player Council, which he is no longer a part of, wanted answers from the ATP.

"I spoke to some of the council members, and they are saying they have extensive discussions about that with ATP management," he said. "I'm waiting for answers. I want to understand how our continuation of the season post-Australia is going to look because is definitely not good for players wellbeing."

The 17-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic talked about a permanent solution to this issue and suggested to select one place where all the tournaments are held.&nbsp;

"We have to find away, whether it's something like an NBA bubble, because I heard some players talk about that, and I don't mind to discuss about that kind of idea," he said.

"Select one place and we play all the tournaments on that surface and that place. Three, four weeks in, rest, then back again. Something like that."

Djokovic's opponent Zverev also supported the Serbian as he said: "We can't have a travelling circuit right now."

"What the ATP should do is, maybe having a venue like here and play multiple weeks at one place. At the end of the day in Europe right now we can't have spectators, so what difference does it really make where we play the tournament?"

(Inputs from Reuters)

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic on Tuesday claimed that most players on the ATP Tour "don't want" the season to continue if the strict quarantines are required before tournaments as it's not something they are used to.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic on Tuesday claimed that most players on the ATP Tour "don't want" the season to continue if the strict quarantines are required before tournaments as it's not something they are used to. ALSO READ: Muchova stuns top seed Barty to make Australian Open semi-finals While talking to reporters after defeating Zverev in the quarter-finals of Australian Open, Djokovic said: "What we are seeing is not normal. It's not something we are used to. Top players are the ones that are fittest. It has been proven in the past that that's the case," Djokovic, who has been playing with an abdominal injury suffered in his third-round match against Taylor Fritz, told reporters. According to the world number one, a spate of injuries amongst top players could be down to the strange preparations. "Now you have (Matteo) Berrettini, even Rafa (Nadal) coming in with a back injury, myself, Sascha (Zverev), as well, struggled, (Grigor) Dimitrov. I mean, obviously it has something to do with these kind of circumstances that we were in. "We are hoping that it's temporary. But talking to a lot of players, the majority don't want to go ahead with the season if we have to quarantine before most of the tournaments." Tennis players have been following strict guidelines since last year's French Open, and US Open. The Serbian, who formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) last year, said the Player Council, which he is no longer a part of, wanted answers from the ATP. "I spoke to some of the council members, and they are saying they have extensive discussions about that with ATP management," he said. "I'm waiting for answers. I want to understand how our continuation of the season post-Australia is going to look because is definitely not good for players wellbeing." The 17-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic talked about a permanent solution to this issue and suggested to select one place where all the tournaments are held. "We have to find away, whether it's something like an NBA bubble, because I heard some players talk about that, and I don't mind to discuss about that kind of idea," he said. "Select one place and we play all the tournaments on that surface and that place. Three, four weeks in, rest, then back again. Something like that." Djokovic's opponent Zverev also supported the Serbian as he said: "We can't have a travelling circuit right now." "What the ATP should do is, maybe having a venue like here and play multiple weeks at one place. At the end of the day in Europe right now we can't have spectators, so what difference does it really make where we play the tournament?" (Inputs from Reuters)

'Majority don't want to go ahead with the season if we have to quarantine before most of tournaments': Novak Djokovic

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pliskova-points-to-ring-rust-as-czech-exits-in-third-round-363304" hreflang="en">Pliskova points to ring rust as Czech exits in third round</a>

Novak Djokovic described it as a "muscle tear" on his right side required further attention on the injury during the third set before he went on to script a five-set win and set up a clash against Milos Raonic on Sunday.

The injury casts cloud on Djokovic's campaign and the defending champion will have to undergo scans before any decision is taken.&nbsp;

However, Australian Open Chief Executive Craig Tiley was confident that Novak will overcome his injury and compete in the fourth round of the Grand Slam.

"We'll see him. He's resilient, he's tough," Tiley told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine.

"He'll wake up today and he'll figure out what it is and he'll go and get the appropriate treatment. The way he was, those two sets, I was pretty surprised.

"But I've seen him play here, this is his court, he gets comfortable on it and he just picks his game up and up and he's that good."

The Serbian tennis ace is a record eight-time Australian Open winner, and was eyeing a ninth title this year. Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slams in total.

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment.

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment. ALSO READ: Pliskova points to ring rust as Czech exits in third round Novak Djokovic described it as a "muscle tear" on his right side required further attention on the injury during the third set before he went on to script a five-set win and set up a clash against Milos Raonic on Sunday. The injury casts cloud on Djokovic's campaign and the defending champion will have to undergo scans before any decision is taken. However, Australian Open Chief Executive Craig Tiley was confident that Novak will overcome his injury and compete in the fourth round of the Grand Slam. "We'll see him. He's resilient, he's tough," Tiley told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine. "He'll wake up today and he'll figure out what it is and he'll go and get the appropriate treatment. The way he was, those two sets, I was pretty surprised. "But I've seen him play here, this is his court, he gets comfortable on it and he just picks his game up and up and he's that good." The Serbian tennis ace is a record eight-time Australian Open winner, and was eyeing a ninth title this year. Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slams in total.

Australian Open: Serb ace Novak Djokovic skips training as he awaits scan results

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam.

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"Very tough match. when the sun was on the court it was very warm. A lot of long rallies," said Djokovic. "A great fight from Frances, a great match on his part.

"But it's not the first time I've been in that kind of situation, I know how to handle this type of circumstance."

The Serb was quick to win the first set, but Tiafoe refused to concede and won the next round. The American was close to secure the next round but Djokovic fought hard to win the set and dominating the final one.&nbsp;

Tiafoe's fight reminded many of his prolific run during the 2019 Aussie Open, where the American entered the quarter-finals.&nbsp;

Djokovic will next play another American, either Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka.

Djokovic, who dropped only six games in his opening round clash, had never played Tiafoe, but quickly adapted.

The Serbian player is chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has won a record eight times in Melbourne.

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam.

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam. ALSO READ: 'Not great' - Nadal cruises despite lingering back injury "Very tough match. when the sun was on the court it was very warm. A lot of long rallies," said Djokovic. "A great fight from Frances, a great match on his part. "But it's not the first time I've been in that kind of situation, I know how to handle this type of circumstance." The Serb was quick to win the first set, but Tiafoe refused to concede and won the next round. The American was close to secure the next round but Djokovic fought hard to win the set and dominating the final one. Tiafoe's fight reminded many of his prolific run during the 2019 Aussie Open, where the American entered the quarter-finals. Djokovic will next play another American, either Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka. Djokovic, who dropped only six games in his opening round clash, had never played Tiafoe, but quickly adapted. The Serbian player is chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has won a record eight times in Melbourne.

Australian Open 2021: Djokovic goes into third round after hard fought win against Tiafoe

Novak Djokovic has not endeared himself to fans over the past year, but the Australian Open's undisputed king will take some stopping as he targets a record-extending ninth title at Melbourne Park.

Also&nbsp;see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-djokovic-to-nadal-five-mens-singles-players-to-watch-at-the-australian-open-2021-361589" hreflang="en">From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021</a>

Djokovic claimed his 17th Grand Slam crown in last year's gripping final when he came back from 2-1 down to edge Austria's Dominic Thiem in five sets.

The Serbian's eighth victory in 16 visits reinforced his dominance in Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, where he claimed his first Grand Slam title in 2008 and has won seven of the last 10 editions.

Rafael Nadal and Thiem look to be his biggest rivals at this year's tournament, with six-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer sidelined as he recovers from double knee surgery.

The Australian Open was the highlight of a mesmerising early 2020 season for Djokovic, who won his first four tournaments of the year.

However, off-court, things soon unravelled for the elastic-limbed world number one.

After tennis went into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, Djokovic launched the ill-fated Adria Tour in June, with no social distancing and players pictured dancing shirtless at a packed nightclub.

Djokovic and his wife Jelena were among a number of people to subsequently test positive for the virus, with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki also falling ill.

<h2>Line judge row&nbsp;</h2>

Worse was to come when tennis resumed and Djokovic defaulted out of the US&nbsp;Open in sensational fashion, when he angrily swiped away a ball that accidentally hit a female line judge in the throat.

His hopes of becoming the first man in half a century to win all four Slams twice then ended in a straight-sets defeat to Nadal in the French Open final.

Djokovic also drew negative comment in August for launching the Professional Tennis Players&nbsp;Association, a breakaway group outside the men's tour, as tennis attempted to get back on its feet.

And he found himself labelled a "tool" by Australia's Nick Kyrgios after requesting better conditions for players during Australia's mandatory quarantine, including private houses with tennis courts.

Despite the off-court turbulence, Djokovic enjoys strong support in Melbourne -- which has a sizeable Serbian population -- and said Rod Laver Arena brings back "beautiful memories".

"It does feel like a home for me in Australia, in Melbourne, particularly in Rod Laver," he said.&nbsp;

"That is by far my most successful tennis court in my career. Had some profound memories in the last 15 years, and you know, won my first Grand Slam back in 2008.&nbsp;

"Had probably the most exciting matches played on this court, and definitely the longest match ever that I played was in the finals, almost six hours with Rafa (Nadal) in 2012."

Nadal will undoubtedly figure prominently in the tournament but it is now 12 years since he won his lone title in Melbourne, despite four more trips to the final.

The Spaniard also has fitness concerns after he pulled out of the ATP Cup during warm-up week with a sore back.

Thiem came agonisingly close to victory last year and, buoyed by his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, will be confident against anyone in the draw -- including Djokovic, against whom he has won five of their last seven meetings.

Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also among the top contenders at a tournament where form is difficult to judge, with playing opportunities hard to come by during the pandemic.

Novak Djokovic has not endeared himself to fans over the past year, but the Australian Open's undisputed king will take some stopping as he targets a record-extending ninth title at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic has not endeared himself to fans over the past year, but the Australian Open's undisputed king will take some stopping as he targets a record-extending ninth title at Melbourne Park. Also see| From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021 Djokovic claimed his 17th Grand Slam crown in last year's gripping final when he came back from 2-1 down to edge Austria's Dominic Thiem in five sets. The Serbian's eighth victory in 16 visits reinforced his dominance in Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, where he claimed his first Grand Slam title in 2008 and has won seven of the last 10 editions. Rafael Nadal and Thiem look to be his biggest rivals at this year's tournament, with six-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer sidelined as he recovers from double knee surgery. The Australian Open was the highlight of a mesmerising early 2020 season for Djokovic, who won his first four tournaments of the year. However, off-court, things soon unravelled for the elastic-limbed world number one. After tennis went into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, Djokovic launched the ill-fated Adria Tour in June, with no social distancing and players pictured dancing shirtless at a packed nightclub. Djokovic and his wife Jelena were among a number of people to subsequently test positive for the virus, with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki also falling ill. Line judge row Worse was to come when tennis resumed and Djokovic defaulted out of the US Open in sensational fashion, when he angrily swiped away a ball that accidentally hit a female line judge in the throat. His hopes of becoming the first man in half a century to win all four Slams twice then ended in a straight-sets defeat to Nadal in the French Open final. Djokovic also drew negative comment in August for launching the Professional Tennis Players Association, a breakaway group outside the men's tour, as tennis attempted to get back on its feet. And he found himself labelled a "tool" by Australia's Nick Kyrgios after requesting better conditions for players during Australia's mandatory quarantine, including private houses with tennis courts. Despite the off-court turbulence, Djokovic enjoys strong support in Melbourne -- which has a sizeable Serbian population -- and said Rod Laver Arena brings back "beautiful memories". "It does feel like a home for me in Australia, in Melbourne, particularly in Rod Laver," he said. "That is by far my most successful tennis court in my career. Had some profound memories in the last 15 years, and you know, won my first Grand Slam back in 2008. "Had probably the most exciting matches played on this court, and definitely the longest match ever that I played was in the finals, almost six hours with Rafa (Nadal) in 2012." Nadal will undoubtedly figure prominently in the tournament but it is now 12 years since he won his lone title in Melbourne, despite four more trips to the final. The Spaniard also has fitness concerns after he pulled out of the ATP Cup during warm-up week with a sore back. Thiem came agonisingly close to victory last year and, buoyed by his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, will be confident against anyone in the draw -- including Djokovic, against whom he has won five of their last seven meetings. Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also among the top contenders at a tournament where form is difficult to judge, with playing opportunities hard to come by during the pandemic.

Who can stop Djokovic? Controversial king eyes ninth Aussie crown

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic on Sunday hit back at Nick Kyrgios, who criticised the world number one, saying that he has little respect for the outspoken Australian off the tennis court.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/japanese-ace-naomi-osaka-calls-mori-ignorant-over-sexist-remarks-361827" hreflang="en">Japanese ace Naomi Osaka calls Mori 'ignorant' over sexist remarks</a>

The Australian ace, who has been a constant critic of Djokovic, called him a "tool" on social media last month after the Serb sent Australian Open organisers a list of requests from players seeking to have quarantine restrictions eased during their mandatory two-week isolation.

Djokovic hit back by saying that Kyrgios is good in tennis, and the Australian is talented enough to beat anyone, however, away from the game, he was not someone the Serb admired.

ALSO SEE|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-djokovic-to-nadal-five-mens-singles-players-to-watch-at-the-australian-open-2021-361589" hreflang="en">From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021</a>

"My respect goes to him for the tennis he's playing. I think he's a very talented guy," Djokovic told reporters.

"He's got a big game. He has proven that he has the quality to beat any player really in the world in the past.

"Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest. That's where I'll close it.

"I really don't have any further comments for him, his own comments for me or anything else he's trying to do."

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic on Sunday hit back at Nick Kyrgios, who criticised the world number one, saying that he has little respect for the outspoken Australian off the tennis court.

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic on Sunday hit back at Nick Kyrgios, who criticised the world number one, saying that he has little respect for the outspoken Australian off the tennis court. ALSO READ: Japanese ace Naomi Osaka calls Mori 'ignorant' over sexist remarks The Australian ace, who has been a constant critic of Djokovic, called him a "tool" on social media last month after the Serb sent Australian Open organisers a list of requests from players seeking to have quarantine restrictions eased during their mandatory two-week isolation. Djokovic hit back by saying that Kyrgios is good in tennis, and the Australian is talented enough to beat anyone, however, away from the game, he was not someone the Serb admired. ALSO SEE| From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021 "My respect goes to him for the tennis he's playing. I think he's a very talented guy," Djokovic told reporters. "He's got a big game. He has proven that he has the quality to beat any player really in the world in the past. "Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest. That's where I'll close it. "I really don't have any further comments for him, his own comments for me or anything else he's trying to do."

'I don't have much respect for him': Novak Djokovic hits back at Nick Kyrgios

From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021

World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of an Adelaide exhibition because of a blistered hand on Friday before appearing on court to play a set after all, helping his compatriot Filip Krajinovic beat Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic was scheduled to kick off the "Day at the Drive" event in front of a crowd of 4,000 at Adelaide's Memorial Drive Tennis Club but pulled out minutes before he was due on court and was replaced by Krajinovic.

After his practice partner had won the first set, however, Djokovic bounded into the arena and proceeded to wrap up a 6-3 6-3 win over the Italian teenager.

"I'm sorry that I didn't step in on the court from the beginning," said Djokovic, who was celebrating his first day of freedom after 14 days in quarantine.

"I had to do some treatment with my physio, I wasn't feeling my best for the last two days and I didn't know how I was going to react."

Djokovic looked to be largely unhindered by the nasty-looking blister on the palm of his right hand.

"It's not easy but it's part of what we do, we're professional athletes, we learn over the years to play with the pain," he added.

"It's just a case of whether that pain is bearable or not. Obviously, coming off a hard training block and having the ATP Cup and Australian Open coming up you don't want to risk it too much."

Djokovic and Krajinovic will join forces again in the Serbia team defending the ATP Cup in Melbourne next week before the former launches his bid for a ninth Australian Open title on Feb. 8.

Serena Williams beat Naomi Osaka 6-2 2-6 (10-7) in a 'super breaker' in the second match with both players united in their excitement at playing in front of fans.

"We haven't played in front of a crowd in over a year so it's been a really long time," said Williams, who has been isolating with her 3-year-old daughter.

"We were so happy just to be here. Now it's worth it."

Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Simona Halep are all scheduled to play later matches after also coming out of quarantine. Women's world number one Ash Barty takes on Halep in the final match of the day.

World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of an Adelaide exhibition because of a blistered hand on Friday before appearing on court to play a set after all, helping his compatriot Filip Krajinovic beat Jannik Sinner.

World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of an Adelaide exhibition because of a blistered hand on Friday before appearing on court to play a set after all, helping his compatriot Filip Krajinovic beat Jannik Sinner. Djokovic was scheduled to kick off the "Day at the Drive" event in front of a crowd of 4,000 at Adelaide's Memorial Drive Tennis Club but pulled out minutes before he was due on court and was replaced by Krajinovic. After his practice partner had won the first set, however, Djokovic bounded into the arena and proceeded to wrap up a 6-3 6-3 win over the Italian teenager. "I'm sorry that I didn't step in on the court from the beginning," said Djokovic, who was celebrating his first day of freedom after 14 days in quarantine. "I had to do some treatment with my physio, I wasn't feeling my best for the last two days and I didn't know how I was going to react." Djokovic looked to be largely unhindered by the nasty-looking blister on the palm of his right hand. "It's not easy but it's part of what we do, we're professional athletes, we learn over the years to play with the pain," he added. "It's just a case of whether that pain is bearable or not. Obviously, coming off a hard training block and having the ATP Cup and Australian Open coming up you don't want to risk it too much." Djokovic and Krajinovic will join forces again in the Serbia team defending the ATP Cup in Melbourne next week before the former launches his bid for a ninth Australian Open title on Feb. 8. Serena Williams beat Naomi Osaka 6-2 2-6 (10-7) in a 'super breaker' in the second match with both players united in their excitement at playing in front of fans. "We haven't played in front of a crowd in over a year so it's been a really long time," said Williams, who has been isolating with her 3-year-old daughter. "We were so happy just to be here. Now it's worth it." Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Simona Halep are all scheduled to play later matches after also coming out of quarantine. Women's world number one Ash Barty takes on Halep in the final match of the day.

Out then in, Djokovic plays a set in Adelaide exhibition

Novak Djokovic said tennis authorities could adopt clearer policies on domestic abuse in light of allegations made against US&nbsp;Open runner-up Alexander Zverev by his ex-girlfriend.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-crowds-at-10-per-cent-capacity-would-be-a-boon-says-novak-djokovic-344548" hreflang="en">Australian Open crowds at 10 per cent capacity would be a boon, says Novak Djokovic</a>

The world number one offered his support to Zverev, who has repeatedly denied the allegations made by Olga Sharypova.

In an interview with Racquet Magazine, Sharypova said Zverev was emotionally and physically abusive to her. She also stated that she does not intend to press charges against the German.

"We don't know what happened truly. I mean, we are going to find out obviously," world number one Djokovic told reporters after his 6-3 7-6(4) win over Zverev at the O2 Arena on Friday.

"I have known Sascha for a very long time since he was very young. I always had a great relationship with him. Very nice guy. I have a lot of respect for him, his family.

"So I was sad to hear and to know he's going through something like this. I don't know what happened. Of course, I mean, obviously I'm not supporting any kind of violence. So we will have to wait and see."

Germany's Zverev has described the allegations as "unfounded and untrue" and without any legal investigation the men's ATP Tour would be unlikely to intervene.

The ATP said it condemned "any form of violence or abuse".

"In circumstances where allegations of violence or abuse are made against any member of the Tour, legal authorities investigate and due process, we then review the outcome and decide the appropriate course of action," the governing body of men's tennis said in a statement last week.

Djokovic was asked whether the ATP should adopt its own policy on domestic abuse, similar to those in American sports, regardless of legal proceedings.

"Yeah, I mean, why not? Probably it should be there in place. But I guess it wasn't developed and it wasn't there because we just did not have the cases like this," said Djokovic, who used to be president of the ATP's player council before he resigned earlier this year to form a breakaway association.

"I have not heard that we had maybe top players involved in such instances. So maybe that kind of case will in a way inspire ATP to do something like that."

World number seven Zverev said he had nothing to hide.

"The players know what’s going on," the 23-year-old told reporters after he was beaten by Djokovic in his final round robin match on Friday.

"What else can I say? I have said everything that I can. It's very unfortunate that these kind of false allegations can put such damage and put the attention away from the sport, but it's the world we live in right now unfortunately.

"There is nothing more that I can do."

Novak Djokovic said tennis authorities could adopt clearer policies on domestic abuse in light of allegations made against US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev by his ex-girlfriend.

Novak Djokovic said tennis authorities could adopt clearer policies on domestic abuse in light of allegations made against US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev by his ex-girlfriend. Also read: Australian Open crowds at 10 per cent capacity would be a boon, says Novak Djokovic The world number one offered his support to Zverev, who has repeatedly denied the allegations made by Olga Sharypova. In an interview with Racquet Magazine, Sharypova said Zverev was emotionally and physically abusive to her. She also stated that she does not intend to press charges against the German. "We don't know what happened truly. I mean, we are going to find out obviously," world number one Djokovic told reporters after his 6-3 7-6(4) win over Zverev at the O2 Arena on Friday. "I have known Sascha for a very long time since he was very young. I always had a great relationship with him. Very nice guy. I have a lot of respect for him, his family. "So I was sad to hear and to know he's going through something like this. I don't know what happened. Of course, I mean, obviously I'm not supporting any kind of violence. So we will have to wait and see." Germany's Zverev has described the allegations as "unfounded and untrue" and without any legal investigation the men's ATP Tour would be unlikely to intervene. The ATP said it condemned "any form of violence or abuse". "In circumstances where allegations of violence or abuse are made against any member of the Tour, legal authorities investigate and due process, we then review the outcome and decide the appropriate course of action," the governing body of men's tennis said in a statement last week. Djokovic was asked whether the ATP should adopt its own policy on domestic abuse, similar to those in American sports, regardless of legal proceedings. "Yeah, I mean, why not? Probably it should be there in place. But I guess it wasn't developed and it wasn't there because we just did not have the cases like this," said Djokovic, who used to be president of the ATP's player council before he resigned earlier this year to form a breakaway association. "I have not heard that we had maybe top players involved in such instances. So maybe that kind of case will in a way inspire ATP to do something like that." World number seven Zverev said he had nothing to hide. "The players know what’s going on," the 23-year-old told reporters after he was beaten by Djokovic in his final round robin match on Friday. "What else can I say? I have said everything that I can. It's very unfortunate that these kind of false allegations can put such damage and put the attention away from the sport, but it's the world we live in right now unfortunately. "There is nothing more that I can do."

Serb ace Novak Djokovic backs domestic abuse policy in tennis

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic is looking forward to winning the ATP Finals at London's O2 Arena for a record-equalling sixth time.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-recovered-dominic-thiem-starts-preparations-for-atp-finals-341919" hreflang="en">Tennis: Recovered Dominic Thiem starts preparations for ATP Finals</a>

The Serbian has had a successful 2020 season as he won Australian Open. He won 39 matches against just three losses this season. Novak also clinched his record-tying sixth year-end No. 1 finish in the ATP Rankings.

As long as the Nitto ATP Finals is concerned, Novak looks relaxed as he has won the event five times before. The win is one fewer than Roger Federer.&nbsp;

"Coming into the tournament knowing I already clinched the year-end No. 1 release some of the pressure definitely, but at the same time it doesn’t change what I hope to achieve in this tournament and why I’m here," Djokovic said at the tournament’s media day Friday. "I really want to win every single match that I get to play and try to get my hands on the trophy and I want this trophy as much as anyone here…

"I’m really hoping that I can end the season in the best possible way and the success that I had previously here in the past 10 years helps me feel more comfortable and confident about myself on the court."

Novak Djokovic will begin his campaign against Diego Schwartzman. "He never played on this court but that probably is kind of releasing him from any pressure that he has to do well," said Djokovic, 33. "Diego is in great form this year, it’s been the best season of his life, he deserves to be part of this tournament. I have lots of respect for him, he’s a fierce competitor [and] one of the quickest players on the Tour."

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic is looking forward to winning the ATP Finals at London's O2 Arena for a record-equalling sixth time. Also read: Tennis: Recovered Dominic Thiem starts preparations for ATP Finals The Serbian has had a successful 2020 season as he won Australian Open.

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic is looking forward to winning the ATP Finals at London's O2 Arena for a record-equalling sixth time. Also read: Tennis: Recovered Dominic Thiem starts preparations for ATP Finals The Serbian has had a successful 2020 season as he won Australian Open. He won 39 matches against just three losses this season. Novak also clinched his record-tying sixth year-end No. 1 finish in the ATP Rankings. As long as the Nitto ATP Finals is concerned, Novak looks relaxed as he has won the event five times before. The win is one fewer than Roger Federer. "Coming into the tournament knowing I already clinched the year-end No. 1 release some of the pressure definitely, but at the same time it doesn’t change what I hope to achieve in this tournament and why I’m here," Djokovic said at the tournament’s media day Friday. "I really want to win every single match that I get to play and try to get my hands on the trophy and I want this trophy as much as anyone here… "I’m really hoping that I can end the season in the best possible way and the success that I had previously here in the past 10 years helps me feel more comfortable and confident about myself on the court." Novak Djokovic will begin his campaign against Diego Schwartzman. "He never played on this court but that probably is kind of releasing him from any pressure that he has to do well," said Djokovic, 33. "Diego is in great form this year, it’s been the best season of his life, he deserves to be part of this tournament. I have lots of respect for him, he’s a fierce competitor [and] one of the quickest players on the Tour."

ATP FINALS: Novak Djokovic eyes record-equaling win to end year on high

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has had a splendid 2020 season. However, his season witnessed a decline as he got disqualified in the US Open and lost in the finals of Roland Garros. The world number one is a front runner in his bid to become the world’s most trophy-laden player.

Djokovic has 17 grand slam titles while Nadal and Federer are on 20 each after the Spaniard clinched a record 13th French Open title.

“There is a lingering regret that I didn’t win either the US Open or the Roland Garros this year,” a bearded Djokovic told reporters in drenching sun at his tennis academy in downtown Belgrade by the Danube river.

“I was in outstanding form at both events but having reached the French Open final, I was beaten by a player who was much better on the day.

“I was below par and that’s it. As far as the US Open is concerned, I got myself into an unfortunate situation and was disqualified, but I won several other big tournaments.

“The US Open disqualification notwithstanding, I have only lost one match all season and I’ve played some of the best tennis of my life.”

Djokovic dismissed suggestions he was under intense pressure to overhaul Nadal and Federer in their three-way race to become the greatest male player of all time.

“Pressure has been a part of my life for a long time and I’ve learned how to deal with it,” he said.

“It comes with the territory if you are a top-level athlete and it can also galvanise you. You take physical and mental knocks along the way but it’s all part of the learning curve.

“If I retired now I’d be happy with everything I have achieved but I still enjoy competing and every tournament I enter gives me so much motivation and joy.”

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has had a splendid 2020 season. However, his season witnessed a decline as he got disqualified in the US Open and lost in the finals of Roland Garros.

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has had a splendid 2020 season. However, his season witnessed a decline as he got disqualified in the US Open and lost in the finals of Roland Garros. The world number one is a front runner in his bid to become the world’s most trophy-laden player. Djokovic has 17 grand slam titles while Nadal and Federer are on 20 each after the Spaniard clinched a record 13th French Open title. “There is a lingering regret that I didn’t win either the US Open or the Roland Garros this year,” a bearded Djokovic told reporters in drenching sun at his tennis academy in downtown Belgrade by the Danube river. “I was in outstanding form at both events but having reached the French Open final, I was beaten by a player who was much better on the day. “I was below par and that’s it. As far as the US Open is concerned, I got myself into an unfortunate situation and was disqualified, but I won several other big tournaments. “The US Open disqualification notwithstanding, I have only lost one match all season and I’ve played some of the best tennis of my life.” Djokovic dismissed suggestions he was under intense pressure to overhaul Nadal and Federer in their three-way race to become the greatest male player of all time. “Pressure has been a part of my life for a long time and I’ve learned how to deal with it,” he said. “It comes with the territory if you are a top-level athlete and it can also galvanise you. You take physical and mental knocks along the way but it’s all part of the learning curve. “If I retired now I’d be happy with everything I have achieved but I still enjoy competing and every tournament I enter gives me so much motivation and joy.”

'There is a lingering regret': Novak Djokovic on US Open and Roland Garros

Greece's Tsitsipas will take on Serbian and world no 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of French Open. Also read: Kenin downs Kvitova to set up French Open final with teen Swiatek Djokovic will be looking for his second Roland Garros title, whereas, Tsitipas is the first Greek player to reach the last four in Paris.

Greece's Tsitsipas will take on Serbian and world no 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of French Open. Also read: Kenin downs Kvitova to set up French Open final with teen Swiatek Djokovic will be looking for his second Roland Garros title, whereas, Tsitipas is the first Greek player to reach the last four in Paris. If Djokovic wins the French Open, he'll have 18 Grand Slams to his name and will become the first man in half a century to win all four majors twice. Also read: 'Every time a match gets complicated...' - Carreno Busta accuses Djokovic of faking injury 22-year-old Tsitsipas will be playing in his second semi-final at the majors having also reached the last four at the 2019 Australian Open, has been a strong candidate to win the tournament. Tsitsipas has clashed with the Serb once before on clay during the 2019 Madrid final, where he had to suffer the loss in straight sets. In the head-to-head stats, Djokovic wins 3-2 against Tsitsipas. In the first semifinals match, French Open legend Nadal will face Schwartzman. Where to watch FRENCH OPEN Semifinals LIVE streaming? In India, French Open will be broadcasted LIVE on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports Select 2. The tournament will also be streamed LIVE on Disney+ Hotstar. What time Semi-Finals are scheduled for? Semifinals 1 – Nadal vs Schwartzman Live Streaming at 6.20 PM IST Semifinals 2 – Djokovic vs Tsitsipas Live Streaming at 9:00 PM IST

French Open, Djokovic vs Tsitsipas: Preview and where to watch it online

Top seed Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress at the French Open with a 6-0 6-3 6-2 drubbing of Colombian Daniel Galan to effortlessly reach the last 16 for the 11th straight year on Saturday.

The 33-year-old was rarely extended by his 153rd-ranked opponent and even found time to double up as a court sweeper when the match was briefly interrupted by rain.

Djokovic, like 12-time champion Rafa Nadal, has reached the fourth round without the loss of a set although things will toughen up with powerful Russian Karen Khachanov up next.

The 33-year-old Serb won the first set in 28 minutes and when he broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set a rare 'triple bagel' looked a possibility.

But Galan, a lucky loser from qualifying, got on the board with a rasping forehand winner which brought loud cheers from the small crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.

With heavy rain falling and the new roof sliding slowly across, meaning Galan was exposed to the elements and Djokovic was not, the Serb ordered the chair umpire to halt play after his opponent slipped during a rally on the muddy baseline.

After groundsmen with wheelbarrows had spread more clay across the court to improve the slimy surface, a laughing Djokovic offered a hand, grabbing a sweeper, before resuming his day job with the roof closed.

Djokovic was surprised the roof had not been closed earlier.

"I saw the forecast and it didn't look good at all," he said. "If you have a roof why not use it. I thought we lost quite a bit of time."

He has certainly not been wasting any time so far in the French capital and once play resumed the outcome was never in doubt, although Galan did make the world number one work up a sweat with some courageous tennis of his own.

Djokovic, bidding for his second title at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam, saved four break points in a competitive third set before completing his 71st French Open match win, taking him past Roger Federer into second place behind Nadal who has 96.

Top seed Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress at the French Open with a 6-0 6-3 6-2 drubbing of Colombian Daniel Galan to effortlessly reach the last 16 for the 11th straight year on Saturday.

Top seed Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress at the French Open with a 6-0 6-3 6-2 drubbing of Colombian Daniel Galan to effortlessly reach the last 16 for the 11th straight year on Saturday. The 33-year-old was rarely extended by his 153rd-ranked opponent and even found time to double up as a court sweeper when the match was briefly interrupted by rain. Djokovic, like 12-time champion Rafa Nadal, has reached the fourth round without the loss of a set although things will toughen up with powerful Russian Karen Khachanov up next. The 33-year-old Serb won the first set in 28 minutes and when he broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set a rare 'triple bagel' looked a possibility. But Galan, a lucky loser from qualifying, got on the board with a rasping forehand winner which brought loud cheers from the small crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier. With heavy rain falling and the new roof sliding slowly across, meaning Galan was exposed to the elements and Djokovic was not, the Serb ordered the chair umpire to halt play after his opponent slipped during a rally on the muddy baseline. After groundsmen with wheelbarrows had spread more clay across the court to improve the slimy surface, a laughing Djokovic offered a hand, grabbing a sweeper, before resuming his day job with the roof closed. Djokovic was surprised the roof had not been closed earlier. "I saw the forecast and it didn't look good at all," he said. "If you have a roof why not use it. I thought we lost quite a bit of time." He has certainly not been wasting any time so far in the French capital and once play resumed the outcome was never in doubt, although Galan did make the world number one work up a sweat with some courageous tennis of his own. Djokovic, bidding for his second title at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam, saved four break points in a competitive third set before completing his 71st French Open match win, taking him past Roger Federer into second place behind Nadal who has 96.

French Open: Serbian ace Djokovic sweeps past Galan into last 16

Serbian tennis ace and World No 1 Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after striking a female lines official in the throat with a ball.

The Serbian pulled the ball from his pocket and smashed it in disgust in the direction of the official as he went 5-6 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-top-seed-novak-djokovic-disqualified-from-us-open-after-hitting-judge-with-ball-325614" hreflang="en">Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball</a>

The ball hit the official with a considerable force that she was left gasping and coughing. She fell in the Arthur Ashe court clutching her throat.

Djokovic rushed over to check that she was okay. He put his hand on her shoulder as she appeared to be struggling to catch her breath.

After a few minutes, she got up and walked off the court.&nbsp;According to the rules of the grand slam,&nbsp;''players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament.''

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Therefore, the umpire declared that Carreno Busta had won by default after a ten minutes discussion with the Serbian and rules officials.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/djokovics-disqualification-reminds-many-of-john-mcenroe-during-1990-australian-open-325667" hreflang="en">Djokovic's disqualification reminds many of John McEnroe during 1990 Australian Open</a>

It made Djokovic one of a handful of players to be defaulted from the men's singles tournament of a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was infamously tossed from the Australian Open in 1990.

While the debate regarding the accuracy of the decision is still being questioned, their are several lessons that can be learned from the incident.

The primary lesson being that of keeping nerves in check during a match and staying calm.

Djokovic has a reputation for this sudden burst of anger. He has even been called out for it in the past.

As per Newton's third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.&nbsp;It applies to tennis courts and to life in general.

While being passionate about&nbsp;work is important, but there is no excuse for misbehaving with a colleague.

What defines people more than their&nbsp;work, the awards and the accolades, is the person they&nbsp;are and how we react to different situations.

There is no bigger victory than winning over the rush of negative emotions and remaining calm and polite in the most difficult of times.

Serbian tennis ace and World No 1 Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after striking a female lines official in the throat with a ball. The Serbian pulled the ball from his pocket and smashed it in disgust in the direction of the official as he went 5-6 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta.

Serbian tennis ace and World No 1 Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after striking a female lines official in the throat with a ball. The Serbian pulled the ball from his pocket and smashed it in disgust in the direction of the official as he went 5-6 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. Also read| Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball The ball hit the official with a considerable force that she was left gasping and coughing. She fell in the Arthur Ashe court clutching her throat. Djokovic rushed over to check that she was okay. He put his hand on her shoulder as she appeared to be struggling to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she got up and walked off the court. According to the rules of the grand slam, ''players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament.'' × Therefore, the umpire declared that Carreno Busta had won by default after a ten minutes discussion with the Serbian and rules officials. Also read: Djokovic's disqualification reminds many of John McEnroe during 1990 Australian Open It made Djokovic one of a handful of players to be defaulted from the men's singles tournament of a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was infamously tossed from the Australian Open in 1990. While the debate regarding the accuracy of the decision is still being questioned, their are several lessons that can be learned from the incident. The primary lesson being that of keeping nerves in check during a match and staying calm. Djokovic has a reputation for this sudden burst of anger. He has even been called out for it in the past. As per Newton's third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It applies to tennis courts and to life in general. While being passionate about work is important, but there is no excuse for misbehaving with a colleague. What defines people more than their work, the awards and the accolades, is the person they are and how we react to different situations. There is no bigger victory than winning over the rush of negative emotions and remaining calm and polite in the most difficult of times.

Lessons that can be learned from Djokovic's US Open disqualification

Serbian tennis ace and World No 1 Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after striking a female lines official in the throat with a ball. The Serbian pulled the ball from his pocket and smashed it in disgust in the direction of the official as he went 5-6 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. Oh my god, Djokovic got disqualified from the US Open.pic.twitter.com/yCo3Lqw0tg — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 6, 2020 × The ball hit the official with a considerable force that she was left gasping and coughing. She fell in the Arthur Ashe court clutching her throat. Djokovic rushed over to check that she was okay. He put his hand on her shoulder as she appeared to be struggling to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she got up and walked off the court. The umpire declared that Carreno Busta had won by default after a ten minutes discussion with the Serbian and rules officials. In a statement on Instagram just hours after his sensational exit in New York, the Serbian world number one said he had been left "really sad and empty" by the controversy. View this post on Instagram This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry. Cela ova situacija me čini zaista tužnim i praznim. Proverio sam kako se oseća linijski sudija, i prema informacijama koje sam dobio, oseća se dobro, hvala Bogu. Njeno ime ne mogu da otkrijem zbog očuvanja njene privatnosti. Jako mi je žao što sam joj naneo takav stres. Nije bilo namerno. Bilo je pogrešno. Želim da ovo neprijatno iskustvo, diskvalifikaciju sa turnira, pretvorim u važnu životnu lekciju, kako bih nastavio da rastem i razvijam se kao čovek, ali i teniser. Izvinjavam se organizatorima US Opena. Veoma sam zahvalan svom timu i porodici što mi pružaju snažnu podršku, kao i mojim navijačima jer su uvek uz mene. Hvala vam i žao mi je. Bio je ovo težak dan za sve. A post shared by Novak Djokovic (@djokernole) on Sep 6, 2020 at 3:58pm PDT × "This whole situation has left me really sad and empty," Djokovic said in a statement on Instagram. "I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. "I'm extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong." Djokovic, who left Flushing Meadows without speaking to reporters following his exit, said he would try to learn from the incident. "As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being," he said. "I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I'm very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. "Thank you and I'm so sorry." After this incident, Novak will lose all ranking points earned at the US Open and fined $250,000 in prize money. The USTA said Djokovic had been defaulted under the Grand Slam rules for "intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences." "Because he was defaulted, Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned at the US Open and will be fined the prize money won at the tournament in addition to any or all fines levied with respect to the offending incident," the USTA said in a statement. (Inputs from AFP)

Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball

Djokovic's sensational disqualification reminded many of American tennis player John McEnroe's infamous incident during the 1990 Australian Grand Slam.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-top-seed-novak-djokovic-disqualified-from-us-open-after-hitting-judge-with-ball-325614" hreflang="en">Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball</a>

Tennis legend John McEnroe was a dominating icon in the professional sport during the 1980s. He won three Wimbledon and four US Open titles between 1979 and 1984, against such formidable opponents as Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.&nbsp;

During his illustrious career, the American won 17 Grand Slams including nine in men’s doubles and one in mixed doubles. However, he was known as "Superbrat" because of constant arguments and badmouthing of umpires and linesmen and one such incident led him to disqualification during Australian Open.&nbsp;

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On January 21, 1990, he was playing against Sweden's Mikael Pernfors. McEnroe won the first set easily but Pernfors won the second set. After the players traded service breaks in the third, McEnroe led 2-1. And during the changeover, he stood in front of the lineswoman and glared at her for what he thought made a bad call.&nbsp;

The chair umpire at that time, Gerry Armstrong, &nbsp;gave American ace McEnroe a conduct code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.&nbsp;

However, the things escalated during the seventh game of the fourth set. McEnroe was leading in the match with 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 2-4. He threw his racket to the ground, where it bounced on the court's hard surface. The chair umpire called another code violation, for racket abuse, and McEnroe started swearing at him. Ken Farrar, the Grand Slam chief of supervisors arrived and spoke with McEnroe, whose continued complaints and swears were audible to spectators and TV viewers. With Farrar’s authorization, Armstrong called a third and final code violation: "Default Mr. McEnroe. Game, set, match."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/swap-me-for-jokers-incident-nick-kyrgios-takes-dig-at-djokovic-over-us-open-disqualification-325653" hreflang="en">'Swap me for jokers incident': Nick Kyrgios takes dig at Djokovic over US Open disqualification</a>

McEnroe became the first man since 1963 to get disqualified in Grand Slam for misconduct.&nbsp;

'Apologetic' Djokovic's ball hit the official with a considerable force that she was left gasping and coughing during his match Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. It made Djokovic one of a handful of players to be defaulted from the men's singles tournament of a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was infamously tossed from the Australian Open in 1990.

Djokovic's sensational disqualification reminded many of American tennis player John McEnroe's infamous incident during the 1990 Australian Grand Slam. Also read: Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball Tennis legend John McEnroe was a dominating icon in the professional sport during the 1980s.

Djokovic's sensational disqualification reminded many of American tennis player John McEnroe's infamous incident during the 1990 Australian Grand Slam. Also read: Watch: Top-seed Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting judge with ball Tennis legend John McEnroe was a dominating icon in the professional sport during the 1980s. He won three Wimbledon and four US Open titles between 1979 and 1984, against such formidable opponents as Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl. During his illustrious career, the American won 17 Grand Slams including nine in men’s doubles and one in mixed doubles. However, he was known as "Superbrat" because of constant arguments and badmouthing of umpires and linesmen and one such incident led him to disqualification during Australian Open. × On January 21, 1990, he was playing against Sweden's Mikael Pernfors. McEnroe won the first set easily but Pernfors won the second set. After the players traded service breaks in the third, McEnroe led 2-1. And during the changeover, he stood in front of the lineswoman and glared at her for what he thought made a bad call. The chair umpire at that time, Gerry Armstrong, gave American ace McEnroe a conduct code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. However, the things escalated during the seventh game of the fourth set. McEnroe was leading in the match with 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 2-4. He threw his racket to the ground, where it bounced on the court's hard surface. The chair umpire called another code violation, for racket abuse, and McEnroe started swearing at him. Ken Farrar, the Grand Slam chief of supervisors arrived and spoke with McEnroe, whose continued complaints and swears were audible to spectators and TV viewers. With Farrar’s authorization, Armstrong called a third and final code violation: "Default Mr. McEnroe. Game, set, match." Also read: 'Swap me for jokers incident': Nick Kyrgios takes dig at Djokovic over US Open disqualification McEnroe became the first man since 1963 to get disqualified in Grand Slam for misconduct. 'Apologetic' Djokovic's ball hit the official with a considerable force that she was left gasping and coughing during his match Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. It made Djokovic one of a handful of players to be defaulted from the men's singles tournament of a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was infamously tossed from the Australian Open in 1990.

Djokovic's disqualification reminds many of John McEnroe during 1990 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic suggested that his season might resume on clay rather than at the US Open as he repeated concerns about playing in North America.

"Nothing is certain yet, a final decision is expected by the end of the month," world number one Djokovic told Serbian broadcaster RTS, adding that US Open organisers had to relax their "extreme conditions" or players would wait for the European tournaments.

"For me what seems real at the moment is that the clay court season will continue in early September with Madrid, Rome and a few more tournaments before Roland Garros," Djokovic, champion at the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018, said.

The tennis season has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with Roland Garros postponed and Wimbledon cancelled.&nbsp;

The US Open is still scheduled to go ahead, with the main draw starting on August 31.

However, New York was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US and the authorities and organisers have drawn up a list of hygiene rules that Djokovic says may mean taking part may not be worth it.&nbsp;

"At the moment the measures in force are very severe," he said.

He repeated his objection to the 14-day quarantine period for players arriving in the United States and the restriction to a one-person entourage and his complaint that players would not be allowed to stay in Manhattan but would be housed in airport hotels near the tournament.

"These are pretty extreme conditions and I don't know if they are sustainable. Most of the players I've talked to so far have a rather negative view of the possibility of going," he said.

"Of course, we would all like to return to the courts as soon as possible and play tournaments, the ones before the US Open and the US Open and I hope they will take place but there has to be a compromise between the organisers and the players. We'll see if it will happen".&nbsp;

Last week world number two, and reigning US Open champion,&nbsp;Rafael Nadal expressed similar reservations.

Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty has also voiced caution about resuming tennis too soon, saying she needed more information before committing to the tournament.

Novak Djokovic suggested that his season might resume on clay rather than at the US Open as he repeated concerns about playing in North America. "Nothing is certain yet, a final decision is expected by the end of the month," world number one Djokovic told Serbian broadcaster RTS, adding that US Open organisers had to relax their "extreme conditions" or players would wait for the European tournaments.

Novak Djokovic suggested that his season might resume on clay rather than at the US Open as he repeated concerns about playing in North America. "Nothing is certain yet, a final decision is expected by the end of the month," world number one Djokovic told Serbian broadcaster RTS, adding that US Open organisers had to relax their "extreme conditions" or players would wait for the European tournaments. "For me what seems real at the moment is that the clay court season will continue in early September with Madrid, Rome and a few more tournaments before Roland Garros," Djokovic, champion at the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018, said. The tennis season has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with Roland Garros postponed and Wimbledon cancelled. The US Open is still scheduled to go ahead, with the main draw starting on August 31. However, New York was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US and the authorities and organisers have drawn up a list of hygiene rules that Djokovic says may mean taking part may not be worth it. "At the moment the measures in force are very severe," he said. He repeated his objection to the 14-day quarantine period for players arriving in the United States and the restriction to a one-person entourage and his complaint that players would not be allowed to stay in Manhattan but would be housed in airport hotels near the tournament. "These are pretty extreme conditions and I don't know if they are sustainable. Most of the players I've talked to so far have a rather negative view of the possibility of going," he said. "Of course, we would all like to return to the courts as soon as possible and play tournaments, the ones before the US Open and the US Open and I hope they will take place but there has to be a compromise between the organisers and the players. We'll see if it will happen". Last week world number two, and reigning US Open champion, Rafael Nadal expressed similar reservations. Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty has also voiced caution about resuming tennis too soon, saying she needed more information before committing to the tournament.

Djokovic says players may skip US Open and start on clay

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, all the sporting events have come to a halt. Tennis has been on a pause since early March due to the infectious virus. But the authorities have come down to a date when the sport could return and that date is July 13.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-ace-novak-djokovic-refuses-to-get-vaccinated-for-covid-19-to-return-to-game-293575">Tennis Ace Novak Djokovic refuses to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to return to game</a>

However, there are no guarantees regarding the date yet. The game could still be on a halt for the whole of 2020 if the vaccine is not available for the pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kobe-university-professor-very-pessimistic-about-olympics-being-held-in-2021-293566" hreflang="en">Kobe University professor 'very pessimistic' about Olympics being held in 2021</a>

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic during a live session with Fabio Fognini on Instagram has said that the game could restart at the regional level with no rank points. He said: “I think there will be more regional prize money tournaments. I think this is what’s going to happen very soon.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with quarantine. Spain, Italy, and all the other countries in the world will probably have different models (to come out of it).”

“It will be difficult to start the tour because our tour is every week in different countries.

“So I think there will be regional prize money tournaments, but probably not (rankings) points at the moment because it’s very complicated,” Novak added.&nbsp;

The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12.

Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt.&nbsp;

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic had earlier opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, all the sporting events have come to a halt. Tennis has been on a pause since early March due to the infectious virus. But the authorities have come down to a date when the sport could return and that date is July 13.

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, all the sporting events have come to a halt. Tennis has been on a pause since early March due to the infectious virus. But the authorities have come down to a date when the sport could return and that date is July 13. Also read: Tennis Ace Novak Djokovic refuses to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to return to game However, there are no guarantees regarding the date yet. The game could still be on a halt for the whole of 2020 if the vaccine is not available for the pandemic. Also read: Kobe University professor 'very pessimistic' about Olympics being held in 2021 World No. 1 Novak Djokovic during a live session with Fabio Fognini on Instagram has said that the game could restart at the regional level with no rank points. He said: “I think there will be more regional prize money tournaments. I think this is what’s going to happen very soon.” “I don’t know what’s going to happen with quarantine. Spain, Italy, and all the other countries in the world will probably have different models (to come out of it).” “It will be difficult to start the tour because our tour is every week in different countries. “So I think there will be regional prize money tournaments, but probably not (rankings) points at the moment because it’s very complicated,” Novak added. The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12. Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt. Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic had earlier opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tennis will resume on regional level with no ranking points, predicts Novak Djokovic

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world number one said.

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world number one said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kobe-university-professor-very-pessimistic-about-olympics-being-held-in-2021-293566" hreflang="en">Kobe University professor 'very pessimistic' about Olympics being held in 2021</a>

“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/resumption-of-champions-league-in-august-postponement-of-202021-ucl-season-likely-reports-293535" hreflang="en">Resumption of Champions League in August; postponement of 2020/21 UCL season likely: Reports</a>

"But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.

"Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet."

Medical experts have said that vaccines against the respiratory virus would not be available until next year, raising concerns&nbsp;whether any further tennis tournaments can be contested this year.

Wimbledon was cancelled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament won't be played.

The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12.

Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt.&nbsp;

“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes.

“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.

“Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet."

Medical experts have said that vaccines against the respiratory virus would not be available until next year, raising doubts whether any further tennis tournaments can be contested this year.

Wimbledon was cancelled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament won't be played.

The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12.

Djokovic made a dream&nbsp;start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt.&nbsp;

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world number one said.

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world number one said. Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has opposed if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world number one said. Also read: Kobe University professor 'very pessimistic' about Olympics being held in 2021 “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes. Also read: Resumption of Champions League in August; postponement of 2020/21 UCL season likely: Reports "But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know. "Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet." Medical experts have said that vaccines against the respiratory virus would not be available until next year, raising concerns whether any further tennis tournaments can be contested this year. Wimbledon was cancelled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament won't be played. The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12. Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt. “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes. “But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know. “Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet." Medical experts have said that vaccines against the respiratory virus would not be available until next year, raising doubts whether any further tennis tournaments can be contested this year. Wimbledon was cancelled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament won't be played. The All England Club announced after an emergency meeting that the event it refers to simply as The Championships is being scrapped for 2020. Wimbledon was scheduled to be played on the club's grass courts on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12. Djokovic made a dream start to the 2020 season, winning the Aussie Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt.

Tennis Ace Novak Djokovic refuses to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to return to game

Swiss tennis ace <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../federer-stages-great-escape-to-reach-australian- open-semis-277034">Roger Federer</a> is set to face his long time rival Novak Djokovic for the 50th time in the semifinal clash of the Australian Open.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-sets-up-roger-federer-showdown-with-milos-raonic-rout-277095" hreflang="en">Australian Open: Novak Djokovic sets up Federer showdown after Milos Raonic rout</a>

World No 2 Djokovic leads 26-23 in the head-to-head clashes with World No 3 Roger Federer.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-2020-dominic-thiem-beats-rafael-nadal-to-enter-semi-finals-277380" hreflang="en">Australian Open 2020: Dominic Thiem beats Rafael Nadal to enter semi-finals</a>

The defending champion Novak Djokovic will be looking forward to win his 8th Australian Open title and stop Roger Federer's hopes to win 21 Grand Slam.&nbsp;

The Swiss Maestro won a hard-fought quarterfinals match against the 100th-ranked Tennys &nbsp;Sandgren on Tuesday at Melbourne Park.&nbsp;

The 38-year-old came back from a near defeat against the American. The scores were &nbsp;6-3 2-6 2-6 7-6 (8) 6-3.&nbsp;

Federer had skipped his practice session on Wednesday as he developed a groin issue during his tough quarterfinals match. He asked for a medical timeout twice during the game.

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He said that not playing on Wednesday would help him recover a bit against the 7-time Australian Open champion.&nbsp;

Serbia's Djokovic respected Federer for his fighting spirit, he said: "I mean, he never gives up. When it matters the most, he's focused and he plays his best tennis. He's a great fighter."

"What he did was amazing, he showed me he's one of the best players of all time," added Djokovic.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) in the quarterfinals match to reach the semifinals.&nbsp;

Match will take place at Rod-Laver Arena at 2:00 PM (IST).&nbsp;

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is set to face his long time rival Novak Djokovic for the 50th time in the semifinal clash of the Australian Open. Also read: Australian Open: Novak Djokovic sets up Federer showdown after Milos Raonic rout World No 2 Djokovic leads 26-23 in the head-to-head clashes with World No 3 Roger Federer.

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is set to face his long time rival Novak Djokovic for the 50th time in the semifinal clash of the Australian Open. Also read: Australian Open: Novak Djokovic sets up Federer showdown after Milos Raonic rout World No 2 Djokovic leads 26-23 in the head-to-head clashes with World No 3 Roger Federer. Also read: Australian Open 2020: Dominic Thiem beats Rafael Nadal to enter semi-finals The defending champion Novak Djokovic will be looking forward to win his 8th Australian Open title and stop Roger Federer's hopes to win 21 Grand Slam. The Swiss Maestro won a hard-fought quarterfinals match against the 100th-ranked Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday at Melbourne Park. The 38-year-old came back from a near defeat against the American. The scores were 6-3 2-6 2-6 7-6 (8) 6-3. Federer had skipped his practice session on Wednesday as he developed a groin issue during his tough quarterfinals match. He asked for a medical timeout twice during the game. × He said that not playing on Wednesday would help him recover a bit against the 7-time Australian Open champion. Serbia's Djokovic respected Federer for his fighting spirit, he said: "I mean, he never gives up. When it matters the most, he's focused and he plays his best tennis. He's a great fighter." "What he did was amazing, he showed me he's one of the best players of all time," added Djokovic. Novak Djokovic defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) in the quarterfinals match to reach the semifinals. Match will take place at Rod-Laver Arena at 2:00 PM (IST).

Australian Open: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to spar for 50th time in star-studded semifinal clash

Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress through the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-nadal-djokovic-and-federer-go-through-first-round-rain-plays-spoil-spot-275705">Australian Open</a> draw on Sunday, negotiating a potentially tricky encounter with Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach the last eight at Melbourne Park for the 11th time.

The seven-times champion only added to a strong feeling around the tournament that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-djokovics-serbia-beats-nadals-spain-to-lift-the-cup-273966">the Serbian</a> is again the man to beat at the year's first Grand Slam as he ousted the Argentine in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-power-serve-sends-djokovic-into-aussie-open-round-three-275903">New power serve sends Djokovic into Aussie Open round three</a>

<img alt="Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman in action" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8251b609-a481-422b-b551-cc7b8f8b22d3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2894%29.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman in action during his match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

The defending champion broke for 5-3 and served out for the opening set before grabbing early breaks in the next two stanzas and successfully resisting Schwartzman's attempts to get back on terms.

The 32-year-old second seed wrapped up the contest by serving out to love and moves on to a quarter-final meeting with Milos Raonic, who he has beaten in all nine of their previous meetings.

Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress through the Australian Open draw on Sunday, negotiating a potentially tricky encounter with Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach the last eight at Melbourne Park for the 11th time.

Novak Djokovic continued his imperious progress through the Australian Open draw on Sunday, negotiating a potentially tricky encounter with Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach the last eight at Melbourne Park for the 11th time. The seven-times champion only added to a strong feeling around the tournament that the Serbian is again the man to beat at the year's first Grand Slam as he ousted the Argentine in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena. Also Read: New power serve sends Djokovic into Aussie Open round three [ Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman in action during his match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (Courtesy: Reuters) ] The defending champion broke for 5-3 and served out for the opening set before grabbing early breaks in the next two stanzas and successfully resisting Schwartzman's attempts to get back on terms. The 32-year-old second seed wrapped up the contest by serving out to love and moves on to a quarter-final meeting with Milos Raonic, who he has beaten in all nine of their previous meetings.

Defending champion Djokovic breezes into quarter-finals

Fifteen-year-old prodigy Coco Gauff set up an Australian Open blockbuster with defending champion Naomi Osaka on Wednesday, as Novak Djokovic strode towards his eighth title in Melbourne.

Fifteen-year-old prodigy Coco Gauff set up an Australian Open blockbuster with defending champion Naomi Osaka on Wednesday, as Novak Djokovic strode towards his eighth title in Melbourne. American teenager Gauff, showing a tenacity which is becoming her trademark, clawed her way back from a set down to beat the experienced Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Gauff, who screamed and pumped her fists as she completed her victory, said he "will win" had got her through the tough second-round match at a windswept Melbourne Park. "My parents always told me you can always come back - no matter what the score is," said Gauff, who beat seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus Williams, in round one. Gauff also beat Williams on her Grand Slam debut last year at Wimbledon, and in another quirk, she faced Osaka in the US Open third round, going down meekly in straight sets. Japan's Osaka, 22, beat China's Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-4 but briefly lost her cool mid-match, hurling and kicking her racquet when she gave up a break in the second set. Also Read: Gauff, 15, stuns Venus Williams in Australian Open first round [ Coco Gauff (Courtesy: Reuters) ] "I was thinking that I really don't want to play the third set this time," explained Osaka, who is defending a Grand Slam title for the second time. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, playing her final tournament before retiring, lived to fight again as she came from behind in both sets for a 7-5, 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. And Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty raced through 6-1, 6-4 against Polona Hercog, buoying hopes of a first home winner since 1978. "It was very different end to end, I think the wind was a massive factor particularly with the new ball," she said. 'Tough conditions' Djokovic also weathered the breeze - which follows heavy rain on Monday, and smog from bushfires last week - to beat Japanese wildcard Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in 95 minutes. "They were tough conditions, pretty windy and it was hard to know where the balls were going. My serve helped a lot to get me out of trouble," said the Serb. Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a slice of fortune when Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew injured from what looked like a testing match, giving the sixth seed a bye into the third round. In other results, Petra Kvitova, last year's runner-up, came through 7-5, 7-5 against Paula Badosa of Spain, and China's Zhang Shuai ousted American Caty McNally 6-2, 6-4. Among eight first-round matches held over from Tuesday, after rain wiped out half of Monday's schedule, Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, also retiring this year, upset Belarusian 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. Later in Melbourne, Serena Williams plays her second-round match against Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek, with Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles in her sight, and Roger Federer faces Serbia's Filip Krajinovic.

Coco crunch for Osaka as Djokovic bowls over wildcard

Australian Open was hit on Monday by morning showers which suspended the play just hours after they were started.&nbsp;

World No 3 Roger Federer was dominant in the first round as he beat World No 75 Steve Johnson. The play was interrupted by rain but the play resumed and Federer in a breathtaking display beat the American 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.&nbsp;

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ICYMI 6-time champ <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> kicked off his 22nd consecutive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> campaign with a speedy 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory 
 
Match report 👉<a href="https://t.co/CSdsXRRCCx">https://t.co/CSdsXRRCCx</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/b4xY8zjvFq">pic.twitter.com/b4xY8zjvFq</a>
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The Swiss continued his streak of being unbeaten in the first round in Melbourne (21-0).&nbsp;

World No 2 Novak Djokovic survived a minor scare against Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday night. He beat Struff 7-6 (5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena to begin his journey for eight Australian Open title. The defending champion has become the sixth man to win 900 tour-level matches.

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Green means GO. 
 
Bidding for a record-extending eighth <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> title, <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> recorded the 900th tour-level victory of his career with a 7-6(5) 6-2 2-6 6-1 win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Day 1 👏 
 
Match report 👉 <a href="https://t.co/sLA4SG8gp8">https://t.co/sLA4SG8gp8</a> <a href="https://t.co/7MeHxqnwAS">pic.twitter.com/7MeHxqnwAS</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1219323992395407361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, the weather is predicted to be clear and sunny. The matches are predicted to get through in the afternoon.

World No 1 Rafael Nadal started his campaign after displaying his dominance over Bolivia's Hugo Dellien. The Spaniard moved a step closer to his 20th Grand Slam after beating Hugo 6-2, 6-3, 6-0.

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The mentality of a legend 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/IeQxpbmXXk">pic.twitter.com/IeQxpbmXXk</a>
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Nadal will face the winner of Argentine Federico Delbonis and Portuguese Joao Sousa in the next round.&nbsp;

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Rafa Rolls 🏃‍♂️<a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> fends off a valiant effort from Dellien and slams the door 6-2 6-3 6-0.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> |<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/s5svPwjzFE">pic.twitter.com/s5svPwjzFE</a>
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His fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta battled past Slovakian Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(2), the match went on for two hours and 37 minutes. World No 27 smashed 41 winners to proceed to the next round.

Weather Forcast on Wednesday and Thursday is scaring as heavy showers are predicted in Melbourne. Play suspension could spoil the highly anticipated Grand Slam.&nbsp;

Australian Open was hit on Monday by morning showers which suspended the play just hours after they were started. World No 3 Roger Federer was dominant in the first round as he beat World No 75 Steve Johnson.

Australian Open was hit on Monday by morning showers which suspended the play just hours after they were started. World No 3 Roger Federer was dominant in the first round as he beat World No 75 Steve Johnson. The play was interrupted by rain but the play resumed and Federer in a breathtaking display beat the American 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. ICYMI 6-time champ @rogerfederer kicked off his 22nd consecutive #AusOpen campaign with a speedy 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory Match report 👉https://t.co/CSdsXRRCCx#AO2020 pic.twitter.com/b4xY8zjvFq — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2020 × The Swiss continued his streak of being unbeaten in the first round in Melbourne (21-0). World No 2 Novak Djokovic survived a minor scare against Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday night. He beat Struff 7-6 (5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena to begin his journey for eight Australian Open title. The defending champion has become the sixth man to win 900 tour-level matches. Green means GO. Bidding for a record-extending eighth #AusOpen title, @DjokerNole recorded the 900th tour-level victory of his career with a 7-6(5) 6-2 2-6 6-1 win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Day 1 👏 Match report 👉 https://t.co/sLA4SG8gp8 pic.twitter.com/7MeHxqnwAS — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2020 × On Tuesday, the weather is predicted to be clear and sunny. The matches are predicted to get through in the afternoon. World No 1 Rafael Nadal started his campaign after displaying his dominance over Bolivia's Hugo Dellien. The Spaniard moved a step closer to his 20th Grand Slam after beating Hugo 6-2, 6-3, 6-0. The mentality of a legend 💯#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IeQxpbmXXk — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020 × Nadal will face the winner of Argentine Federico Delbonis and Portuguese Joao Sousa in the next round. Rafa Rolls 🏃‍♂️@RafaelNadal fends off a valiant effort from Dellien and slams the door 6-2 6-3 6-0.#AO2020 |#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/s5svPwjzFE — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2020 × His fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta battled past Slovakian Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(2), the match went on for two hours and 37 minutes. World No 27 smashed 41 winners to proceed to the next round. Weather Forcast on Wednesday and Thursday is scaring as heavy showers are predicted in Melbourne. Play suspension could spoil the highly anticipated Grand Slam.

Australian Open: Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer go through first round, rain plays spoil spot

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../djokovic-sweeps-past-nadal-in-atp-cup-final- 273816">Djokovic</a>'s Serbia came from behind to defeat Nadal's Spain to lift the prestigious ATP cup in the Rosewell Arena, Sydney.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-novak-djokovic-concerned-about-smoke-at-australian-open-as-bushfires-continue-to-blaze-272187">ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze</a>

Roberto Bautista handed a straight-set defeat to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../nadals-spain-to-meet-djokovics-serbia-in-atp- cup-final-273650">Dusan Lajovic</a> (7-5, 6-1) in the first match of the tie. Spain lead by 1-0 over Serbia.

Scores tied after Novak Djokovic returned the favour by defeating Rafael Nadal (6-2, 7-6) in the most anticipated match of the evening. &nbsp;

As a tie-breaker, the doubles team clashed with each other. Serbia's Djokovic and Victor Troicki faced Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno-Busta. Team Serbia beat Team Spain in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to win the cup.&nbsp;

The winning team got $15,000,000 as a cash prize.

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Welcome to the HISTORY books! 
 
Hoist that 🏆 high, 🇷🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamSerbia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamSerbia</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/f81tbbCQdL">pic.twitter.com/f81tbbCQdL</a>
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Serbia defeated Russia and Spain defeated Australia 3-0 to reach the finals.&nbsp;

Spain neared a knockout in the Quarters against Belgium when World number 7 David Goffin had defeated World number 1. But they avoided an upset when they won the tie-breaker doubles match.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-belguims-david-goffin-keeps-hope-alive-after-shocker-against-spains-rafael-nadal-273449">ATP: Belguim's David Goffin keeps hope alive after shocker against Spain's Rafael Nadal</a>

24 countries took part in this competition that lasted 10 days. Fans across the three cities of Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney were entertained.&nbsp;

ATP had promised A$100 per ace in the tournament and a total of 1,322 aces were served in the cup. so a total of A$132,200 were donated to Tennis Australia’s Aces for Bushfire Relief initiative. Nick Kyrgios served most number (69) of aces in tournament. &nbsp;

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Drumroll, please! 🥁 
 
After 32 aces were hit on Day 10, our grand total for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPCup</a> is 1,322. This means $132,200 was raised for&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RedCrossAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@redcrossau</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aces4BushfireRelief?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aces4BushfireRelief</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/FMivFRWBUg">pic.twitter.com/FMivFRWBUg</a>
— ATPCup (@ATPCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPCup/status/1216434671212539910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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ATP players donated A$725,000 to WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund.

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A big <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPCup</a> announcement! ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/atptour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atptour</a> players have made a $725,000 donation to <a href="https://twitter.com/WWF_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WWF_Australia</a> and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts. <a href="https://t.co/dkJGYLxyU6">pic.twitter.com/dkJGYLxyU6</a>
— ATPCup (@ATPCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPCup/status/1216372120403529728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Djokovic's Serbia came from behind to defeat Nadal's Spain to lift the prestigious ATP cup in the Rosewell Arena, Sydney. Also read: ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze Roberto Bautista handed a straight-set defeat to Dusan Lajovic (7-5, 6-1) in the first match of the tie.

Djokovic's Serbia came from behind to defeat Nadal's Spain to lift the prestigious ATP cup in the Rosewell Arena, Sydney. Also read: ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze Roberto Bautista handed a straight-set defeat to Dusan Lajovic (7-5, 6-1) in the first match of the tie. Spain lead by 1-0 over Serbia. Scores tied after Novak Djokovic returned the favour by defeating Rafael Nadal (6-2, 7-6) in the most anticipated match of the evening. As a tie-breaker, the doubles team clashed with each other. Serbia's Djokovic and Victor Troicki faced Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno-Busta. Team Serbia beat Team Spain in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to win the cup. The winning team got $15,000,000 as a cash prize. Welcome to the HISTORY books! Hoist that 🏆 high, 🇷🇸 #TeamSerbia#ATPCup pic.twitter.com/f81tbbCQdL — ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 12, 2020 × Serbia defeated Russia and Spain defeated Australia 3-0 to reach the finals. Spain neared a knockout in the Quarters against Belgium when World number 7 David Goffin had defeated World number 1. But they avoided an upset when they won the tie-breaker doubles match. Also read: ATP: Belguim's David Goffin keeps hope alive after shocker against Spain's Rafael Nadal 24 countries took part in this competition that lasted 10 days. Fans across the three cities of Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney were entertained. ATP had promised A$100 per ace in the tournament and a total of 1,322 aces were served in the cup. so a total of A$132,200 were donated to Tennis Australia’s Aces for Bushfire Relief initiative. Nick Kyrgios served most number (69) of aces in tournament. Drumroll, please! 🥁 After 32 aces were hit on Day 10, our grand total for the #ATPCup is 1,322. This means $132,200 was raised for @redcrossau.#Aces4BushfireRelief | #ATPCup pic.twitter.com/FMivFRWBUg — ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 12, 2020 × ATP players donated A$725,000 to WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund. A big #ATPCup announcement! ❤️@atptour players have made a $725,000 donation to @WWF_Australia and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts. pic.twitter.com/dkJGYLxyU6 — ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 12, 2020 ×

ATP: Djokovic's Serbia beats Nadal's Spain to lift the cup

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../nadals-spain-to-meet-djokovics-serbia-in-atp- cup-final-273650">Novak Djokovic</a> swept past long-time rival Rafael Nadal in a battling display at the ATP Cup final Sunday to lay down a marker ahead of the Australian Open.

Also read:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-novak-djokovic-concerned-about-smoke-at-australian-open-as-bushfires-continue-to-blaze-272187">ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze</a>

The Serbian world number two blasted the top-ranked Spaniard off court 6-2 in the first set before a much tighter 7-6 (7/4) second set.

It left the final of the inaugural team event finely poised at 1-1 after Spain's reliable Roberto Bautista Agut caned Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/djokovic-and-nadal-rally-for-merger-of-atp-cup-and-davis-cup-271915">Nadal</a> and Djokovic were both expected back on the court to play the decisive doubles rubber that will decide which country wins the 24-nation tournament.

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LOOK AT THE PASSION! 
 
🇷🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamSerbia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamSerbia</a> take the opening set of the deciding doubles 6-3! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/troicki_viktor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@troicki_viktor</a><a href="https://t.co/kXjPgki8Un">pic.twitter.com/kXjPgki8Un</a>
— ATP Tour (@atptour) <a href="https://twitter.com/atptour/status/1216350866745131008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Every time I get to play Rafa we get to play a lot of exciting points. There were some incredible exchanges today," said Djokovic.

"I started off the match perfectly, everything worked. I'm just really glad I held my nerve in the end."

Djokovic, warming up for his bid to win an eighth Australian Open crown this month, went into the clash at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena leading their head-to-head 28-26.

But the statistics did not tell the full story.

The Serb had won nine of their past 12 contests and been dominant over the years on hard courts,&nbsp;including a comfortable win against Nadal in the Australian Open final last year.

He showed his intent immediately, breaking Nadal in the opening game when the Spaniard netted a backhand, and there was no let-up.

His driving groundstrokes and deft touches proved too much with Nadal's serve constantly under siege as Djokovic delivered a booming ace to wrap up the set.

Nadal lifted to another level in the second set and it was an intense affair, with Djokovic saving five break points in a crucial sixth game.

It went to a tiebreaker where a crunching backhand down the line from the Serb gave him the break he needed to complete the victory.

Novak Djokovic swept past long-time rival Rafael Nadal in a battling display at the ATP Cup final Sunday to lay down a marker ahead of the Australian Open. Also read: ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze The Serbian world number two blasted the top-ranked Spaniard off court 6-2 in the first set before a much tighter 7-6 (7/4) second set.

Novak Djokovic swept past long-time rival Rafael Nadal in a battling display at the ATP Cup final Sunday to lay down a marker ahead of the Australian Open. Also read: ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze The Serbian world number two blasted the top-ranked Spaniard off court 6-2 in the first set before a much tighter 7-6 (7/4) second set. It left the final of the inaugural team event finely poised at 1-1 after Spain's reliable Roberto Bautista Agut caned Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1. Nadal and Djokovic were both expected back on the court to play the decisive doubles rubber that will decide which country wins the 24-nation tournament. LOOK AT THE PASSION! 🇷🇸 #TeamSerbia take the opening set of the deciding doubles 6-3! #ATPCup | @DjokerNole | @troicki_viktorpic.twitter.com/kXjPgki8Un — ATP Tour (@atptour) January 12, 2020 × "Every time I get to play Rafa we get to play a lot of exciting points. There were some incredible exchanges today," said Djokovic. "I started off the match perfectly, everything worked. I'm just really glad I held my nerve in the end." Djokovic, warming up for his bid to win an eighth Australian Open crown this month, went into the clash at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena leading their head-to-head 28-26. But the statistics did not tell the full story. The Serb had won nine of their past 12 contests and been dominant over the years on hard courts, including a comfortable win against Nadal in the Australian Open final last year. He showed his intent immediately, breaking Nadal in the opening game when the Spaniard netted a backhand, and there was no let-up. His driving groundstrokes and deft touches proved too much with Nadal's serve constantly under siege as Djokovic delivered a booming ace to wrap up the set. Nadal lifted to another level in the second set and it was an intense affair, with Djokovic saving five break points in a crucial sixth game. It went to a tiebreaker where a crunching backhand down the line from the Serb gave him the break he needed to complete the victory.

Djokovic sweeps past Nadal in ATP Cup final

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../atp-belguims-david-goffin-keeps-hope-alive- after-shocker-against-spains-rafael-nadal-273449">Rafael Nadal</a> and Novak Djokovic will face each other in the final of the inaugural ATP Cup after winning epic three-set matches Saturday to steer Spain and Serbia into the decider.

World number one Nadal ground down pumped-up Australian Alex de Minaur to guide the Davis Cup champions through their semi-final while Djokovic battled past Russia's Daniil Medvedev.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-novak-djokovic-concerned-about-smoke-at-australian-open-as-bushfires-continue-to-blaze-272187">ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze</a>

Under the format of the innovative team event in Sydney, the top-ranked singles players from each country play each other, ensuring the two legends clash for a 55th time since their first showdown in 2006.

World number two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../djokovic-and-nadal-rally-for-merger-of-atp-cup -and-davis-cup-271915">Djokovic</a> leads the head-to-heads 28-26, including beating his arch-rival in the Australian Open final last year.

Nadal outlasted De Minaur 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after unflappable teammate Roberto Bautista Agut tamed Nick Kyrgios 6-1, 6-4.

Djokovic had an equally tough time against impressive fifth-ranked Medvedev, coming through a top-draw contest 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 on the back of Dusan Lajovic beating Karen Khachanov 7-5, 7-6 (7/1).

"Alex was playing at a very high level and for me my energy was a little bit lower than usual. But it has been a very emotional evening and a pleasure playing here," said Nadal.

"We know it's going to be a super tough final (against Serbia)," he added. "Novak likes a lot to play here, he's had a lot of great results. So let's see. We have a good team too."

De Minaur had a furious start, breaking Nadal in the opening game of the match and then keeping the pressure on, restricting the Spaniard's trademark forehand to take the first set in 46 minutes.

Full of energy, his serve was on fire and he was winning the baseline rallies, but Nadal weathered the onslaught and finally won a break point, converting to take the second set.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../australia-oust-britain-in-knife-edge-atp-cup- quarter-final-273204">De Minaur</a> was deflated and the fight went out of him as the 19-time Grand Slam showed him who was boss, racing through the deciding set.

Unassuming world number 10 Bautista Agut was in control and all over the groundstrokes of temperamental Kyrgios, who looked lost as he crashed 6-1 in the first set.

The Australian regained some lustre in the second set. But he was broken in the fifth game, mangling his racquet in frustration, and despite saving two match points with booming aces was outplayed.

"My game plan was to put him under pressure to play every point, to make him work. That's what I tried and it went well," said Bautista Agut.

- Exceptional - 
Sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic, who is targeting an eighth Australian Open title this month, had looked on track for a comfortable win against Medvedev after sailing through the opening set and breaking in the first game of the second.

But the dogged Russian, who won their last two encounters, roared back.

He broke in the next game and then again for 3-1, with Djokovic smashing his racquet as Medvedev took the set to level the match.

A third set of long, high-quality rallies went with serve until Djokovic got the crucial edge in the fifth game, converting a volley to go 3-2 in front and Medvedev had no answer.

"It was an exceptional match. Lots of rallies and very exhausting. Daniil Medvedev is one of the best players in the world and he showed today why," said Djokovic.

"He's difficult to break from the baseline, he's tall and has a good serve. This was the most difficult challenge I have had so far this year."

Lajovic, who won his first ATP title last year at Umag, took a 2-0 record into his showdown with world number 17 Khachanov and produced a performance that belied his ranking of 34, displaying composure and a fine array of shots.

"It was definitely one of the toughest matches for me in my career, concerning the situation, the tension and the importance of the moment," he said. "But the crowd carried me." &nbsp; &nbsp;

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face each other in the final of the inaugural ATP Cup after winning epic three-set matches Saturday to steer Spain and Serbia into the decider.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face each other in the final of the inaugural ATP Cup after winning epic three-set matches Saturday to steer Spain and Serbia into the decider. World number one Nadal ground down pumped-up Australian Alex de Minaur to guide the Davis Cup champions through their semi-final while Djokovic battled past Russia's Daniil Medvedev. Also read: ATP: Novak Djokovic concerned about smoke at Australian Open as bushfires continue to blaze Under the format of the innovative team event in Sydney, the top-ranked singles players from each country play each other, ensuring the two legends clash for a 55th time since their first showdown in 2006. World number two Djokovic leads the head-to-heads 28-26, including beating his arch-rival in the Australian Open final last year. Nadal outlasted De Minaur 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after unflappable teammate Roberto Bautista Agut tamed Nick Kyrgios 6-1, 6-4. Djokovic had an equally tough time against impressive fifth-ranked Medvedev, coming through a top-draw contest 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 on the back of Dusan Lajovic beating Karen Khachanov 7-5, 7-6 (7/1). "Alex was playing at a very high level and for me my energy was a little bit lower than usual. But it has been a very emotional evening and a pleasure playing here," said Nadal. "We know it's going to be a super tough final (against Serbia)," he added. "Novak likes a lot to play here, he's had a lot of great results. So let's see. We have a good team too." De Minaur had a furious start, breaking Nadal in the opening game of the match and then keeping the pressure on, restricting the Spaniard's trademark forehand to take the first set in 46 minutes. Full of energy, his serve was on fire and he was winning the baseline rallies, but Nadal weathered the onslaught and finally won a break point, converting to take the second set. De Minaur was deflated and the fight went out of him as the 19-time Grand Slam showed him who was boss, racing through the deciding set. Unassuming world number 10 Bautista Agut was in control and all over the groundstrokes of temperamental Kyrgios, who looked lost as he crashed 6-1 in the first set. The Australian regained some lustre in the second set. But he was broken in the fifth game, mangling his racquet in frustration, and despite saving two match points with booming aces was outplayed. "My game plan was to put him under pressure to play every point, to make him work. That's what I tried and it went well," said Bautista Agut. - Exceptional - Sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic, who is targeting an eighth Australian Open title this month, had looked on track for a comfortable win against Medvedev after sailing through the opening set and breaking in the first game of the second. But the dogged Russian, who won their last two encounters, roared back. He broke in the next game and then again for 3-1, with Djokovic smashing his racquet as Medvedev took the set to level the match. A third set of long, high-quality rallies went with serve until Djokovic got the crucial edge in the fifth game, converting a volley to go 3-2 in front and Medvedev had no answer. "It was an exceptional match. Lots of rallies and very exhausting. Daniil Medvedev is one of the best players in the world and he showed today why," said Djokovic. "He's difficult to break from the baseline, he's tall and has a good serve. This was the most difficult challenge I have had so far this year." Lajovic, who won his first ATP title last year at Umag, took a 2-0 record into his showdown with world number 17 Khachanov and produced a performance that belied his ranking of 34, displaying composure and a fine array of shots. "It was definitely one of the toughest matches for me in my career, concerning the situation, the tension and the importance of the moment," he said. "But the crowd carried me."

Nadal's Spain to meet Djokovic's Serbia in ATP Cup final

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-novak-djokovic-concerned-about-smoke-at-australian-open-as-bushfires-continue-to-blaze-272187">Novak Djokovic</a> braved extreme humidity to beat tricky French opponent Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 and later helped Serbia win the doubles as they progressed at the inaugural&nbsp;ATP&nbsp;Cup team event in Brisbane on Monday.

Spain's world number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-once-again-claims-no-1-spot-in-rankings-novak-djokovic-slips-259888">Rafa Nadal</a> was also in punishing mood ahead of this month's Australian Open as he dismantled Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-2 6-1 in Perth to seal their tie.

Roberto Bautista Agut had given the Spaniards the lead after an equally one-sided 6-1 6-2 win over Franco Roncadelli in the $15 million&nbsp;ATP&nbsp;Cup, which features 24 nations competing in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days.

Djokovic had a 15-0 head-to-head record against Monfils before Monday's clash and, after surviving an initial onslaught from his opponent, made sure the record remained blemish free.

The Serb saved nine break points while converting the three he had against Monfils, who finished 2019 in the top 10, to square the tie after the temperamental Benoit Paire had given France the lead by overcoming Dusan Lajovic 6-2 6-7(6) 6-4.

"It was definitely one of the most humid conditions I have ever had in my career," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-guides-serbia-into-davis-cup-quarter-finals-263723">Djokovic</a> said in a courtside interview. "I mean, tonight was brutal.

"Obviously playing Gael is never easy. You are coming into the court knowing that you are going to have a lot of exchanges, a lot of rallies. He is a great fighter and a great friend of mine, so I wish him all the best. Tough luck today."

Djokovic returned to court with Viktor Troicki to clinch the deciding doubles match against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3 6-7(5) 10-3.

The 2-1 result ensured Serbia will finish as Group A winners and become the second team to qualify for the quarter-finals after Australia booked their place as Group F winners on Sunday.

Fit-again South African Kevin Anderson earlier won his first match since returning to competitive tennis with a 6-0 6-3 success against Chile's Cristian Garin.

Anderson, runner-up at the 2017 US&nbsp;Open and Wimbledon a year later, played only five tournaments last year due to injury before undergoing knee surgery in September.

The 33-year-old lost 7-6(5) 7-6(6) to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/djokovic-and-nadal-rally-for-merger-of-atp-cup-and-davis-cup-271915">Djokovic</a> in his return to action on Saturday, his first match since the third round of Wimbledon in July, but proved too good for Garin.

The former world number five did not face a break point against Garin, sealing the tie for South Africa.

Austria's world number four Dominic Thiem also bounced back from his season-opening loss against Croat Borna Coric by beating Diego Schwartzman 6-3 7-6(3) to help set up a 3-0 win over Argentina.

Croatia's Marin Cilic, the US&nbsp;Open champion in 2014, followed up Saturday's win against Austrian Dennis Novak with a 7-6(8) 6-4 win over 20-year-old Kacper Zuk of Poland.

Cilic converted only one of his 13 break points but the win in Sydney was enough to set up Croatia's second victory at the event after they defeated Austria 3-0.

Japan also completed their second win as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-leads-britain-to-opening-davis-cup-win-spain-reach-last-eight-263586">Yoshihito Nishioka</a> and Go Soeda emerged victorious in their singles matches to seal the tie against Georgia in Perth.

Novak Djokovic braved extreme humidity to beat tricky French opponent Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 and later helped Serbia win the doubles as they progressed at the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Brisbane on Monday.

Novak Djokovic braved extreme humidity to beat tricky French opponent Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 and later helped Serbia win the doubles as they progressed at the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Brisbane on Monday. Spain's world number one Rafa Nadal was also in punishing mood ahead of this month's Australian Open as he dismantled Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-2 6-1 in Perth to seal their tie. Roberto Bautista Agut had given the Spaniards the lead after an equally one-sided 6-1 6-2 win over Franco Roncadelli in the $15 million ATP Cup, which features 24 nations competing in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days. Djokovic had a 15-0 head-to-head record against Monfils before Monday's clash and, after surviving an initial onslaught from his opponent, made sure the record remained blemish free. The Serb saved nine break points while converting the three he had against Monfils, who finished 2019 in the top 10, to square the tie after the temperamental Benoit Paire had given France the lead by overcoming Dusan Lajovic 6-2 6-7(6) 6-4. "It was definitely one of the most humid conditions I have ever had in my career," Djokovic said in a courtside interview. "I mean, tonight was brutal. "Obviously playing Gael is never easy. You are coming into the court knowing that you are going to have a lot of exchanges, a lot of rallies. He is a great fighter and a great friend of mine, so I wish him all the best. Tough luck today." Djokovic returned to court with Viktor Troicki to clinch the deciding doubles match against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3 6-7(5) 10-3. The 2-1 result ensured Serbia will finish as Group A winners and become the second team to qualify for the quarter-finals after Australia booked their place as Group F winners on Sunday. Fit-again South African Kevin Anderson earlier won his first match since returning to competitive tennis with a 6-0 6-3 success against Chile's Cristian Garin. Anderson, runner-up at the 2017 US Open and Wimbledon a year later, played only five tournaments last year due to injury before undergoing knee surgery in September. The 33-year-old lost 7-6(5) 7-6(6) to Djokovic in his return to action on Saturday, his first match since the third round of Wimbledon in July, but proved too good for Garin. The former world number five did not face a break point against Garin, sealing the tie for South Africa. Austria's world number four Dominic Thiem also bounced back from his season-opening loss against Croat Borna Coric by beating Diego Schwartzman 6-3 7-6(3) to help set up a 3-0 win over Argentina. Croatia's Marin Cilic, the US Open champion in 2014, followed up Saturday's win against Austrian Dennis Novak with a 7-6(8) 6-4 win over 20-year-old Kacper Zuk of Poland. Cilic converted only one of his 13 break points but the win in Sydney was enough to set up Croatia's second victory at the event after they defeated Austria 3-0. Japan also completed their second win as Yoshihito Nishioka and Go Soeda emerged victorious in their singles matches to seal the tie against Georgia in Perth.

Djokovic, Nadal march on with convincing wins at ATP Cup

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-powers-spain-into-davis-cup-semis-novak-djokovics-serbia-ousted-263989">Novak Djokovic</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nadal-murray-honoured-at-atp-awards-269400">Rafael&nbsp;Nadal</a>&nbsp;urged organisers of the ATP Cup and Davis Cup Finals to consider a possible merger, saying it makes little sense to have two men's team competitions on the tennis calendar.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-cup-2020-tennis-innovative-24-team-tournament-to-begin-from-january-3-271406">ATP Cup</a>, which begins on Friday, will feature 24 nations contesting in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days for the first time and will give the top men's players a solid platform to prepare for the Australian Open.

The tournament, however, comes just six weeks after the inaugural edition of the revamped Davis Cup, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-prize-pool-jumps-to-49-million-biggest-gains-for-early-rounds-269945">International Tennis Federation</a>'s flagship event, which was similar in nature and question remains if the two can co-exist in the future.

"We need to have one Super World Cup event, whatever you want to call it," world number two Djokovic, who heads the ATP players' council, told a news conference on Thursday.

"That's not going to happen next year... but if the two sides, the ITF, the Davis Cup, and the ATP get together very quickly, it can happen possibly for 2022.

"I hope it will happen because it's kind of hard to get top players to commit to play both events. And it's six weeks apart, so they're not really helping each other in terms of marketing, in terms of the value of the event and so forth."

Djokovic's concerns were echoed by world number one&nbsp;Nadal, who said having to play back-to-back team tournaments was confusing.

"For me personally that's not the ideal situation for our sport, but that's how it works today and I'm very excited that we can change that in the future," said&nbsp;Nadal, who won a fifth Davis Cup title with Spain in November.

The participating teams for the event have been determined by the singles ranking of their best player. Six of the top seven players in the world, barring Swiss great <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/federer-and-zverev-mexico-city-match-breaks-world-attendance-record-264207">Roger Federer</a>, have arrived in Australia.

Federer pulled out of the event to spend more time with his family. Britain's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-pulls-out-of-australian-open-with-injury-270808">Andy Murray</a> and Japan's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-kei-nishikori-stunned-by-lajovic-in-second-round-204964">Kei Nishikori</a> are other notable absentees due to injury.

Australian Open holder Djokovic will make his ATP Cup debut for Serbia against South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday while&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;will lead Spain into action against Georgia in Perth on the same day.

Revamped Aussie summer

To accommodate the $15 million ATP Cup, which also offers 750 ranking points, this year's Australian Open has been pushed back from its usual mid-month start by a week and will kick off at Melbourne Park from January&nbsp;20.

The ATP Cup has also left no room in the revamped tennis calendar for the mixed-gender Hopman Cup, which is popular with players and has traditionally served as a warm-up for the year's first Grand Slam.

With Brisbane hosting matches in the ATP Cup, next week's Brisbane International will be a women's only tournament while the Sydney International - one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world dating back to 1885 - has also gone missing.

Sydney's loss proved to be Adelaide's gain as the city will host the Adelaide International from January&nbsp;12, where Djokovic and women's world number one Ash Barty are the top draws.

ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-champion-simona-halep-targets-strong-finish-in-asia-251694">Wimbledon champion Simona Halep</a> will also play in Adelaide.

Sydney, which will host both the knockout stage of the ATP Cup and the group stage, also has to deal with apprehensions about smoke from the devastating bushfires impacting play.

Britain's team captain Tim Henman played down those concerns.

"In the context of what this country is going through with the bushfires and for us having to deal with perhaps slightly poor air quality, I think right there is the perspective," he told reporters. "I don't envisage it being a problem at all."

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal urged organisers of the ATP Cup and Davis Cup Finals to consider a possible merger, saying it makes little sense to have two men's team competitions on the tennis calendar.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal urged organisers of the ATP Cup and Davis Cup Finals to consider a possible merger, saying it makes little sense to have two men's team competitions on the tennis calendar. The ATP Cup, which begins on Friday, will feature 24 nations contesting in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days for the first time and will give the top men's players a solid platform to prepare for the Australian Open. The tournament, however, comes just six weeks after the inaugural edition of the revamped Davis Cup, the International Tennis Federation's flagship event, which was similar in nature and question remains if the two can co-exist in the future. "We need to have one Super World Cup event, whatever you want to call it," world number two Djokovic, who heads the ATP players' council, told a news conference on Thursday. "That's not going to happen next year... but if the two sides, the ITF, the Davis Cup, and the ATP get together very quickly, it can happen possibly for 2022. "I hope it will happen because it's kind of hard to get top players to commit to play both events. And it's six weeks apart, so they're not really helping each other in terms of marketing, in terms of the value of the event and so forth." Djokovic's concerns were echoed by world number one Nadal, who said having to play back-to-back team tournaments was confusing. "For me personally that's not the ideal situation for our sport, but that's how it works today and I'm very excited that we can change that in the future," said Nadal, who won a fifth Davis Cup title with Spain in November. The participating teams for the event have been determined by the singles ranking of their best player. Six of the top seven players in the world, barring Swiss great Roger Federer, have arrived in Australia. Federer pulled out of the event to spend more time with his family. Britain's Andy Murray and Japan's Kei Nishikori are other notable absentees due to injury. Australian Open holder Djokovic will make his ATP Cup debut for Serbia against South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday while Nadal will lead Spain into action against Georgia in Perth on the same day. Revamped Aussie summer To accommodate the $15 million ATP Cup, which also offers 750 ranking points, this year's Australian Open has been pushed back from its usual mid-month start by a week and will kick off at Melbourne Park from January 20. The ATP Cup has also left no room in the revamped tennis calendar for the mixed-gender Hopman Cup, which is popular with players and has traditionally served as a warm-up for the year's first Grand Slam. With Brisbane hosting matches in the ATP Cup, next week's Brisbane International will be a women's only tournament while the Sydney International - one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world dating back to 1885 - has also gone missing. Sydney's loss proved to be Adelaide's gain as the city will host the Adelaide International from January 12, where Djokovic and women's world number one Ash Barty are the top draws. ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will also play in Adelaide. Sydney, which will host both the knockout stage of the ATP Cup and the group stage, also has to deal with apprehensions about smoke from the devastating bushfires impacting play. Britain's team captain Tim Henman played down those concerns. "In the context of what this country is going through with the bushfires and for us having to deal with perhaps slightly poor air quality, I think right there is the perspective," he told reporters. "I don't envisage it being a problem at all."

Djokovic and Nadal rally for merger of ATP Cup and Davis Cup

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