Novak Djokovic beats Tallon Griekspoor to enter Dubai quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic just keeps on going. The Serbian had to take a one-month break to fully recover from his hamstring injury, which he had suffered while playing at the Australian Open. However, it has been usual business for the Serbian as he has once again hit the ground running on the tour.

Djokovic had to battle hard for three sets in the second-round match against Tomas Machac. However, the 35-year-old veteran put together a much-improved performance against Tallon Griekspoor as he bested the Dutch by 6-2, 6-3 in the Round of 16.

“It’s been a great evening for me tonight,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “Yesterday I really had to work hard to get a win. Tonight, right from the blocks, I think I was sharp. I played definitely better-quality tennis than I did last night.

“Maybe the last three or four games weren’t the best to close the match, but I managed to find a good serve in the end. I’m very pleased with the performance and with the way I felt on the court, and hopefully, things can go in the right direction for tomorrow.”

After winning the opening set convincingly, Djokovic raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set. However, Tallon Griekspoor was able to bounce back but Djokovic held his ground in the end.

“[My level was] much closer to the best level tonight than it was yesterday,” said Djokovic. “I probably didn’t expect to play that well tonight, considering last night’s match. But here we go, every day is a new day, a new opportunity, and I’m really glad that I played this well tonight.”

On the other hand, Djokovic also showered praise on Tallon Griekspoor, whom he has now beaten two times on the tour.

“He’s got a lot of firepower in his game,” said Djokovic. “His serve and forehand, those are two of his favorite shots. He tries to dictate the points from the back of the court with the forehand, and I knew that I had to take the time away from him.”

Novak Djokovic will face Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals on Thursday.