Novak Djokovic trounces Viktor Troicki in the third round – Sony Ericsson Open 2012
Defending champion, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, outclassed compatriot, Viktor Troicki, in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 32 at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on Monday.
The top seed did not show any respite to his countryman, beating the world number 27 in just an hour and 25 minutes.
Djokovic made a flying start, as he broke Troicki in the second game of the first set to attain a 2-0 lead. Ranked first in the ATP Rankings, Djokovic came under severe pressure in the very next game but managed to pass through
the test after saving five break points. The Serbian did not face any difficulty to hold his serve in the rest of the set, closing it 6-3.
The Monte Carlo, Monaco resident hit one ace and clinched 18 of the 22 first serve points. Djokovic, who is considered one of the best returners of the sport, managed to win just two of the 13 points on first replies. However,
the Serbian showed his class on the second ones, grabbing six of the eight of them.
Just like the first set, Djokovic claimed an early lead, moving ahead 2-0. Though, Troicki managed to break back this time, evening out the score at 2-2. Both players held in the next two games to take the score to 3-3. Djokovic
raised the level of his game after that and captured three of the next four games to seal it 6-4.
The 24-year-old, Djokovic, did not serve to his level in the middle part of the second set. He hit just one ace and also committed a double fault. The Serbian won just 14 of the 22 points on the first deliveries. His powerful returns
came to the rescue, as he matched his previous set’s performance, converting six of the eight of them into points.
The Serbian juggernaut said, talking to the reporters after the match, "Generally I feel that I have been playing well. I did have some ups and downs, especially in today’s match, but I’m confident that I can raise the level of
my performance in every match."
This was Djokovic’s 11th consecutive triumph over Troicki on the ATP World Tour, improving the head to head record to 11-1. Troicki’s only win against his Davis Cup team mate came in their first meeting, when he came
back from a set down to beat Djokovic in the round of 16 at the ATP Studena Croatia Open.
Djokovic will now meet 17th seed, Richard Gasquet, in the fourth round.
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