Novak Djokovic Continues Impressive 2020 Statistic With Western & Southern Open Debut

The tennis season is picking up momentum as the Western & Southern Open kicked off with a Novak Djokovic victory. The two-set victory of Djokovic extends his undefeated 2020-win total to 19 victories.

The world number one star faced against former junior top player Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania. Despite pulling out of the doubles side of the tournament with a neck strain, Djokovic endured through the singles draw. It was a 7-6, 6-4 victory for the Serbian as Djokovic remains in dominant form. In the last 19 tiebreakers for Djokovic, he has successfully won 18 of them, dating back to the classic five-set draw against Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final

Throughout the match, Djokovic struggled with issues with his neck as he shared that it’s slowly recovering to top form. While it’s not at one hundred percent, the tennis superstar is looking to get better as the weeks go by.

"It's getting better. It's been four days. It's not yet where I'd like it to be but it’s heading in the right direction,” Djokovic said.

The recent match featured Berankis putting up a fight against the 17-time Grand Slam champion. The overall experience of the veteran got the upper hand in the matchup, as Djokovic was able to tolerate his injury.

"Hopefully it will not react with the inflammation after tonight's match. We'll do everything possible with the physio and then we'll see what tomorrow brings,” Djokovic added.

Despite hitting seven double faults in the two sets, Djokovic shared that his struggles compounded with how phenomenal Berankis was playing.

”But I managed somehow with the great help of Clay, ATP physiotherapist, who did his best to make sure I feel better. I tried to take one game at a time. He was striking the ball really well. He was playing super fast," Djokovic concluded.

The Western & Southern Open, or also known as the Cincinnati Masters, is seen as a great way for the US Open participants to get a feel of the hardcourt. It will be an interesting year for the American Major as the global pandemic has greatly changed the tournament’s dynamics.

Notable absences include Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, propelling Djokovic as a favorite to win the Grand Slam that is set on August 31 until September 13.