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Despite continuing to play with a bandage on his thigh, Djokovic, 35, no longer denoted the physical discomfort evident in the previous rounds and ended, without resorting to medical assistance, this Monday’s match with a clear victory, by 3-0 , in two hours and seven minutes.
The first sign came in the opening ‘set’, completed in just 36 minutes with a 6-2 partial over the ‘home’ tennis player, 24th in the world ranking. In the following matches, more of the same: 6-1 and 6-2, in 40 and 51 minutes, respectively.
Andrey Rublev, fifth seed to beat Dane Holger Rune – 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (9/11) – will be the next hurdle on the way to the coveted 22nd title in Grand Slam tournaments, 10th in the Australian Open.
