Tokyo Olympics: Novak Djokovic, Nina Stojanovic make winning start in mixed doubles

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and fellow compatriot Nina Stojanovic have made a winning start to their mixed doubles campaign at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Djokovic and Stojanovic claimed a 6-3 6-4 win over Brazil's Marcelo Melo and Luisa Stefani to progress into the mixed doubles quarterfinal. 

Djokovic and Stojanovic claimed the first break of the match in the sixth game and then served out for the opener in the ninth game.

Melo and Stefani saved a break point in the third game but dropped their serve in the seventh game. 

Djokovic and Stojanovic held on to their serve the rest of the way to book a straight-set win. 

Djokovic and Stojanovic, who are playing together for the first time, will be battling Germany's Kevin Krawietz and Laure Siegemund for a place in the semifinal. 

Djokovic also booked a win in singles

On Wednesday, Djokovic handed a 6-3 6-1 loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to make the Tokyo quarterfinal. 

The pressure is on Djokovic to win gold medal but he embracing the challenge. 

"Pressure is a privilege. Without pressure there is no professional sport," said Djokovic after his win over Davidovich Fokina, per Firstpost. 

"If you are aiming to be at the top of the game, you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments.

"On the court, but also off the court, all the expectations and all that buzz and all that noise... I've learned to develop a mechanism how to deal with it in such a way that it will not pose a distraction to me, it will not wear me down.

"I feel I have enough experience to know myself how to step on the court and play my best tennis."

Djokovic will be battling against home favorite Kei Nishikori for a place in the Tokyo semifinal. 

"Djokovic is the strongest player in the draw. I've been playing well this week, I want to keep that good feelings and take a full swing. I have to play well with something extra, otherwise I'll lose," Nishikori said.

"I'm getting better, only that gives me confidence. (If I had had to play with him) several months ago, I'd have had no confidence. Finally I've started making decent rallies, feel like I can clash with him to some extent."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3BNS2Bb