TOKYO -- World number one Novak Djokovic clinched the Japan Open on Sunday, dispelling concerns about the shoulder injury that forced him out of the US Open.
The Serbian star crushed Australian qualifier John Millman 6-3, 6-2 to mark his 10th win in a tournament main draw debut.
Djokovic, playing in his first Japanese competition, dominated throughout the week, never losing a single set to claim the trophy at the Ariake Colosseum, a venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Beaming Djokovic, the winner of 16 Grand Slams, now goes to the Shanghai Masters, where he is the top seed.
"I didn't drop a set, so I played a fantastic tournament. Everything is positive in my experience on and off the court, the way I feel and motivated for Shanghai, going there with great confidence," he said.
"I am hoping I can finish the season in this style," added Djokovic, who was competing for the first time since pulling out of the US Open due to a left shoulder injury.
The triumph in Tokyo has boosted his confidence going into the Olympics too.
"Considering that Olympic Games are high always on my list of goals and priorities and wishes, I wanted to feel the surface and see and experience how it feels playing on this court," Djokovic said.
"I am very glad now, seeing and experiencing how I play (in Ariake) because I feel comfortable. It feels great playing on this court... I am hoping that can also be the case in the Olympics."
Djokovic started the Japan Open by taking part in a doubles game and switched to higher gears as the week progressed, never allowing his opponents, including world number 15 David Goffin, to pose a serious threat.
In the final, Djokovic grabbed an early break in the first set to take a 3-1 lead with a series of sizzling serves and precision returns that had Millman scrambling across the baseline.
The Serb kept sending sharp returns to deep corners, mixing them with elegant drop shots.
Djokovic fired six aces, never committed a double fault, and scored points on 26 of his 30 successful first serves.
He never faced a break point, while Millman managed to survive only one of four break points during the match.
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World number one Novak Djokovic eased past Belgian third seed David Goffin 6-3 6-4 at the Japan Open in Tokyo on Saturday to book his place in Sunday's final against John Millman.
Djokovic beat Goffin in one hour and 29 minutes, extending his head-to-head record against the 2017 champion to seven wins, and will now face Australia's Millman who beat American Reilly Opelka in the other semi-final.
Top seeded Djokovic hit seven aces and won 87% of his first-service points against Goffin in the Serb's first tournament since withdrawing from the U.S. Open fourth round with a shoulder injury.
"I'm very satisfied with the way I've been playing the whole week," Djokovic said. "It's been a very positive week on the court, off the week as well. Hopefully I'll be able to crown it tomorrow with a trophy.
"Obviously he was in good form and played really well against Chung yesterday in the quarters.
"The conditions are playing quick here. The surface doesn't bounce that much, so you've got to be very low and quick on return as well. It definitely was not easy when both of us were serving well."
Djokovic has dominated opponents in Tokyo and is yet to drop a set in the tournament and the 16-times Grand Slam champion needed only two breaks of serve to win in straight sets and reach his fifth final of the season.
Earlier, Millman took down Opelka 6-3 7-6(4) to reach his first ever ATP 500 final.
Big-serving Opelka fired 13 aces but could not convert either of his two break points while Millman needed only one break of serve in the opening set before winning the second in the tiebreak.
"That was a pretty good match, it's always difficult playing against someone like Reilly who has got such a massive serve," Millman said. "I was really happy to take the few little chances I had and took care of my own service games pretty well.
"I get to play a final of an ATP 500 in such a special place like Tokyo. For me, that's why you play. That's why you go through the graft and some of the tougher times, to give yourself an opportunity like this. It's pretty special."
(Reporting by Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
World number one Novak Djokovic on Friday put on a stunning show of supremacy at the Japan Open with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lucas Pouille of France.
The Serb more than overwhelmed his opponent in the quarterfinal match, showering Pouille with a barrage of powerful, precision shots to deep, wide corners mixed with delicate drop shots.
"I am not a machine. But I did play like one today," he said after their 50-minute contest.
"This was one of the best matches I played this year. Very, very pleased with the way I feel and played on the court," said Djokovic, who will face either David Goffin of Belgium or Chung Hyeon of South Korea in the semifinals.
"I am looking forward to another battle tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to keep up with this quality of tennis."
The latest victory provided further evidence of his swift recovery from a left shoulder injury that caused him to pull out of the US Open.
The Japan Open is the first competition for Djokovic since the incident.
He nailed eight aces and never committed double fault while collecting points on 82 percent of his successful first serves.
After cruising through the first set, Djokovic stepped up his tennis and began the second set by taking four games straight.
Pouille fought back to keep the fifth game and in the sixth game, he collected his only break of the match.
But Djokovic denied any other attempt by the French challenger, who was able to survive only one of seven break points.
It was the third meeting between the two men this year. Djokovic won all of them.
In the rest of the Tokyo tournament, John Millman of Australia defeated Japanese wild card Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-0.
American player Reilly Opelka beat Japanese qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-3.
hih/rbu
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World number one Novak Djokovic blasted past qualifier Alexei Popyrin 6-4 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
Playing in his first singles match since retiring from his U.S. Open fourth-round match with Stan Wawrinka due to a left shoulder issue, the Serb showed he was fighting fit as he fired seven aces and won 84% of points on his first serve.
"Shoulder is good. I have not felt anything in the previous days, including today, in the match," Djokovic said. "So I am very pleased to say that and to feel healthy.
"I thought from the beginning to the end, I played really well and on a consistent, high level and (with) good intensity."
Djokovic, now into his 271st week at number one having passed Ivan Lendl (270) for third place in the all-time list, takes on local favourite Go Soeda in the next round.
Canada's Denis Shapovalov fired 16 aces in a straight sets victory over Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, winning 6-4 6-4 in an hour and 21 minutes.
The 20-year-old did not drop serve and needed only two break points to move into the last 16.
Japanese wildcard Taro Daniel stunned second seed Borna Coric 6-4 4-6 7-6(5), while compatriot Yasutaka Uchiyama took down French fourth seed Benoit Paire 6-2 6-2.
Seventh seed Taylor Fritz fell 6-3 6-4 to fellow American Reilly Opelka, while Radu Albot and Gilles Simon advanced.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
