Novak Djokovic was on a mission at the 2011 Australian Open, claiming his second Major crown and firing off one of the most remarkable seasons of the Open era. In the fourth round, Novak defeated Nicolás Almagro 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 44 minutes to clinch their consecutive quarterfinals in Melbourne.
The Serb dropped 18 points in 13 service games and saved all three of his break point chances to challenge his opponent. Nicolas was unable to match those numbers, suffering a break in sets one and two and losing ground in the third to power Novak.
In his one awkward moment, Novak received a coaching violation, in his words, for the first time in his career. Djokovic was unhappy with the decision, saying he should have been given advance notice and repeating that his coach didn’t tell him anything.
Novak got a break in the fourth game of the match after a mistake by Nicolas on the forehand and consolidated the lead with an ace in the fifth game. With serve at 5-3, the Serb fired an ace to win the first game in 31 minutes.
Djokovic broke at 1-1 in the second set and squandered two more break chances at 3-1 to keep his opponent a break away. The World No. 3 hit an ace at 5-4 to close out the set and move closer to the finish line after one hour and 16 minutes.
The 2008 champion opened the third set with a break, saved two break chances in the next and brought it home with a backhand crossover winner. The world number 3 secured another return game with a forehand winner for a 3-0 lead and put up a backhand return winner at 4-0 to move closer to the finish line.
In the sixth game, Novak was victorious with 15 points and qualified for the quarterfinals. “I played a very good game. My serve worked very well, and it is essential to raise the level before the quarterfinals.
Djokovic is still the best
Novak Djokovic ended his 2022 season on a high, recapturing the ATP Finals crown after a long gap of seven years.
“He’s practicing even harder than he was at 22,” Ivanisevic said. “That’s why he’s still so good. You know, the will to practice to improve, the will to be better is amazing. He’s taking care of his body.
In my time, we stop tennis at 31, you’re ready to leave… Look at Roger [Federer], couple years back. Look at Rafa [Nadal]. They’ll talk about young players, and it’s great for tennis. You have the youngest number one in the world, Carlos. But you know, look at Novak, he’s still hungry, still winning, he’s still playing unbelievable tennis.”
