Doha: Novak Djokovic took just 55 minutes to claim his first win of 2019, brushing aside Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 in the Qatar Open tennis tournament first round while Austria’s Dominic Thiem suffered a shock exit, Tuesday.
The World No.1 Serbian showed he was intent on taking his form from last season into the New Year with a totally dominant display against the Bosnian World No.47. “It’s fantastic to be back and to start off the tournament like I have done makes me very confident and very happy,” said the Serb.
Djokovic, who has won the last two Grand Slams – at Wimbledon and the US Open to take his majors total to 14 – completed the match in under an hour by predictably converting his first match point.
However, it was all over for second seed Thiem, who was surprisingly beaten by the World No.55 France’s Pierre Hugues-Herbert, 6-3, 7-5 in the last match of the day.
Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam winner Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka went past rising star Karen Khachanov 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 to claim a notable scalp against the powerful Russian.
Khachanov, the third seed, finished last season ranked at a career-time high of No.11 had no answer to an inspired Wawrinka, currently ranked 66th in the world, as he returns from a serious knee injury. “Today was a great match, a great level,” said Wawrinka, who has suffered an injury-plagued last two seasons.
Another player returning from injury, Belgium’s David Goffin, the sixth seed, was beaten by Lithuanian qualifier Ricardis Berankis, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).