Novak Djokovic recorded a straight sets win in his first appearance at the Miami Open presented by Itau since 2019.
The fourth-seeded Serbian star earned a convincing 6-0, 7-6 (1) victory against Rinky Hijikata and advanced to the third round in Florida in one hour and 20 minutes.
“I was playing really well, at a very high level from the beginning,” said Djokovic, who improved to 45-7 in Miami. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do tactically. I played him in the first match of the season in Brisbane. So I think it was good to do some homework, look at those videos. I know that the stats and the metrics have not been that great for me post Australia. It took me a little bit more time after an injury to really find that groove, find that movement, that rhythm, that striking zone. I love the way I was practising actually the last seven to 10 days and had some great, great sessions on this court as well. I’m excited to compete to keep on playing at the highest level when I play this way. It’s always a pleasure when you come back to an amazing city like Miami after six years of absence and I’ve had this many people in the first match, so I’m really, really grateful for their support.”
Novak made a blistering start, dominating his rival from Australia in the opening set, taking it 6-0 in just 27 minutes. With razor-sharp returns and flawless serving, Nole gave no chance to Hijikata to settle in.
Although Hijikata raised his level in the second set and played more aggressively, he never managed to put Novak’s serve under real pressure. The Belgrade native had a chance to break at 3-2 but couldn’t capitalise on it, as the Australian held firm to level at 3-3. Once the set reached a tiebreak, Djokovic took full control, delivering a clinical 7-1 finish to seal the victory.
Stats: aces (2-1), double faults (0-1), winners (21-18), unforced errors (12-22), total points won (68-44).
Next up for the six-time Miami titlist is lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG), who stunned 32nd seed Alex Michelsen (USA) in three sets.
Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
