2010 Davis Cup Finals: Novak Djokovic, Gael Monfils win matches as Serbia and France level 1-1
The highest ranked Serbian Novak Djokovic got the better of Gilles Simon in three sets at the 2010 Davis Cup Finals to level Serbia at 1-1 against France on Friday. The final match score was 6-3, 6-1, and 7-5. Djokovic blasted a total of sixty two winners
to get past his French opponent at the Belgrade Arena in Serbia.
Novak opened the clash on a competitive note and smartly held all his serves before winning an elusive break during the seventh game to clinch the first set 6-3. The following set further worsened the situation for Gilles who managed just a single service
hold.
The decisive set saw an early break of serve in Novak’s favour which the right hander squandered along with a couple of match points to see his opponent square off the score at 5-5. It looked at that moment that the match would head to a fourth set however
Novak won another break to seal a three setter victory in the end. The battle concluded in a time period of two hours and eighteen minutes.
Novak hammered a total of seventy four winners that included twelve aces and seventeen other service winners. Gilles, on the other hand, fired twenty six unforced errors.
"Definitely, it is an advantage for the home team playing in front of their people. To be able to have this support is really relevant. This competition depends on crowd support. That is why this competition is very unpredictable and unique, particularly
at the later stages where you play top players. The crowd gives you extra if you are tired,” said Djokovic after the match.
Earlier in the day, Serbia suffered a shock when Gael Monfils posted a three setter victory over Janko Tipsarevic. The final match score was 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-0. Monfils fired fifty one winners and eleven aces to win the opening match of the 2010 Davis Cup
Finals on Friday.
Monfils, who is currently ranked number twelve in the South African Airways ATP list, dominated his Serbian opponent right from the start of the match and showed no signs of discomfort in front of huge Serbian crowd at the Belgrade arena. He looked extremely
composed and confident throughout the match and thus provided an ideal start to his country. Janko, on the other hand, did not start strongly as he double faulted on two occasions in the opening set.
Monfils, after the match admitted that Janko’s shaky start helped him settle his nerves.
Janko, who was Serbia's hero in the final-four win over Czech Republic, had support of the home crowd in the Davis Cup Final opener.
"I feel the crowd was fair. They were whistling sometimes in between serves. This is the Davis Cup final. It was not anything drastic or dramatic. I was feeling the pressure. But then again I was the underdog. Even though we were playing at home, everybody
was expecting Gael to win, which eventually happened,” added Janko.
Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra of France will represent their country in today’s doubles clash against Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki whereas the reverse singles will be played on Sunday.
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