Djokovic eases into 700-win club
AFP
AFP, DUBAI: World number one Novak Djokovic recorded his 700th career win on Wednesday when he cruised past Tunisias Malek Jaziri and into the Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-finals.
Djokovic won 6-1, 6-2 in 65 minutes and will face Spains Feliciano Lopez for a spot in the last four.
The 28-year-old Serb moves to 12th on the all-time win list which is headed by Jimmy Connors of the United States who racked up 1,254 in his career.
Djokovic is the third active player to pass the milestone, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer (1,067) and Rafael Nadal (775).
The Serb had 25 unforced errors in what could not be called a perfect performance on Wednesday but which still carried him to 14-0 this season.
Ive played a lot of matches and Im very pleased and very proud of each win Ive had, said 11-time major winner Djokovic, who was presented on court with a gluten-free cake to mark the occasion.
Organisers also created a #nole700 hashtag in honour of his latest achievement.
I started as a professional just over ten years ago. I love this sport with all of my heart and enjoy every moment of it. I expect a lot from myself, Im trying to improve and get better in every element of my game.
But I know Im not the only one who wants to be number one and win titles.
Djokovic admitted to some frustration as he closed out the win.
(After a set and a half) I started missing a lot of forehands, easy forehands from mid-court. It frustrated me, honestly, a little bit.
But I managed to win the match. Ill take the positives out of it and hopefully will be able to raise my game even more.
Second seed Stan Wawrinka, who denied Djokovic a career Grand Slam with victory over the Serb in last years French Open final, needed five match points to beat Croatian qualifier Franko Skugor, ranked 188th.
While not playing at his best, Wawrinka was not disappointed.
