Novak Djokovic’s first singles outing of the new season at the Brisbane International has lived up to the Serbian’s lofty expectations.
A 6-3 6-3 ledger over wildcard Rinky Hijikata allowed ample time to keep New Year’s Eve plans with his wife and children, all in town to watch the top seed return to the tournament for the first time in 16 years.
His 73rd-ranked Australian opponent ended the season winning nine of his last 10 matches at ATP Challenger level but struggled to make inroads on the 24-time major champion’s serve under the lights.
https://twitter.com/BrisbaneTennis/status/1874023777404940753
The world No.7’s 76-minute victory was far less dramatic than his doubles debut alongside Nick Kyrgios the night before, when the pair needed a match tiebreak to eke out a win over Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies.
“I always expect myself to do well on the court,” Djokovic said. “Obviously, a win is a win. To start off the new season with a win is very important.
“I think Hijikata deserves a great round of applause for his performance. He was really, really good. He made me work definitely for the win tonight.”
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An early break set the tone for the top seed to take the reins and he put the foot down to reel off the final four games to secure a second-round meeting with familiar foe Gael Monfils, a 6-4 4-6 6-1 winner over American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy.
While due to return for a second-round doubles match with Kyrgios on Wednesday afternoon, Djokovic assured he would see the clock strike midnight with his family.
“No, we’ll definitely stay up to celebrate the new year,” he said. “We have some plans, my family’s here. My kids are excited to go past their bedtime. We’re going to watch one of many fireworks tonight in Brisbane.”
Frenchman foils Kyrgios’ Brisbane singles comeback
Kyrgios could only shrug his shoulders as big-serving rising Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard crashed the Australian’s tennis comeback party in Brisbane.
Kyrgios, who missed most of the past two years to wrist and knee injuries, was frustrated but showed fight and fitness in a 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 7-6(3) loss that stretched nearly two-and-a-half hours and featured no breaks of serve.
The 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard surged from outside the world’s top 200 to end 2024 at world No.31 and his huge weapon on both first and second serves – arguably already the most devastating in the sport – was on full display at Pat Rafter Arena as he set a second-round clash with fourth seed Frances Tiafoe.
The American was an earlier 7-6(5) 6-3 winner over Australian wildcard Adam Walton.
Did you get one of the balls @MpetshiG sent down for 36 aces in his big win over Nick Kyrgios?!
The Frenchman advances 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 7-6(3)#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/2ov1JwZ8Aa
— Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) December 31, 2024
Kyrgios, playing just his second tour-level singles match in two-and-a-half years, experienced the full brunt of that a day after partnering Novak Djokovic in a Monday night doubles win.
“It was a great match, considering I hadn’t played in 18 months and to put myself in a winning position was exciting,” Kyrgios said. “It was just good to be back out there and to say that, you know, I can still play a level against someone like that who is coming off the best year of their career and only getting better and confident.
“I’m coming back and I asked the question, and he just played a couple big points better than I did. Yeah, I felt relatively pretty good physically. My legs, my body felt really good. I felt fit and I’m in great shape. Obviously felt some discomfort with the wrist, but he does serve and hit the ball a lot bigger than probably some of the people that I have practised with in the last year.”
Mpetshi Perricard served 36 aces to Kyrgios’s 15, regularly topping 220km/h with ease and backing himself with huge second serves to compound the pain.
“Not too bad,” he laughed at his ace count. “I knew it was going to be a serve match, so Nick did a good job … I hope I will do a nice recovery and be back in two days.”
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A running forehand winner gave the Frenchman an early buffer in the first-set tiebreak, sealed with a ninth ace and a 73 per cent first-serve percentage.
Mpetshi Perricard had Kyrgios guessing again as the second set hurtled towards a tiebreak.
Kyrgios turned the screws and forced some errors to level the contest and cracks began to appear on both players’ serves in the decider.
The Australian was fluent in the third set but again it was Mpetshi Perricard who pounced on an early error to take control of the decisive tiebreak before he served his way to victory in the deciding tiebreak.
“He did some good things during the match. He was very, very confident, a good serve,” Mpetshi Perricard said. “I tried my best, it worked but I’m sure he’s going to be back in the next few months. I mean it was very exciting to play this one. I’m very happy to get the win.”