Djokovic thumps king of clay Nadal to enter third round
The two greats of the racquet game, both in the evening of their fabulous journey in tennis, have fought many a pitched battle between themselves in their glittering careers.
Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic and Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro announced they will give the ATP Masters 1,000 (Rogers Cup) event a miss.
According to media reports, Djokovic, a four-time Rogers Cup champion, needs more time to recover after winning his fifth Wimbledon title in July.
The world No. 1 beat Swiss Roger Federer 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) in the first fifth-set tie-break in Wimbledon singles history.
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In the nail-biter, the Serbian saved two match points against Federer, becoming the first player to save match points in the Wimbledon final and win in 71 years.
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“I’m sorry to announce that I decided to pull out of Rogers Cup. With the support of my team, I have decided to give my body longer rest and recovery time before coming back again to play,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
Talking about the 2019 Rogers Cup, it will be held in Montreal from 3-11 August.
Djokovic has won the event, which alternates between Montreal and Toronto, twice in both city — Montreal in 2007 and 2011, and Toronto in 2012 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Del Potro, No. 12 in the ATP rankings, is continuing his rehab from a fractured right knee that he suffered on 19 June during his second-round match at the Fever-Tree Championships in London. The Argentine underwent surgery on 22 June.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal, the all-time Masters 1000 titles leader (34), will be the top seed. Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Mikhail Kukushkin will fill the two available spots in the main draw.
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