Novak Djokovic is not a man who seems to lack motivation but just in case he needed any extra this week, he can draw on the fact that he would capture his 50th career title should he triumph in Dubai.
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Winning the trophy would also take him one triumph greater than his coach Boris Becker, with whom Djokovic is currently tied on 49 titles.
“I received that information a few days ago, and that’s why I have more motivation this week,” Djokovic said with a laugh after overcoming Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday night.
“I didn’t have any special celebration for my 40th or 30th title, but I think [the] 50th is something unique. It’s early to talk about the title here, the tournament just started. Hopefully it can happen here and, if it does, we will make it count.”
The world No1 is a four-time champion in Dubai, where he now holds a stellar 31-4 win-loss record. Pospisil was making his tournament debut here and seeking a fourth career win over a top-10 player in 17 meetings.
The fast-serving Canadian, ranked 63 in the world, made things tough for Djokovic in the opening set.
Good squiggling! Novak #Djokovic goes to work on signature cam. #tennis #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/e8bNFufUdR
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) February 24, 2015
The first break point of the match came after a 25-shot rally in the ninth game that saw a Pospisil backhand slice go just long. But the Canadian unleashed a 195km/hr serve to save the break.
However, he could not defend another as Djokovic broke for a 5-4 lead on a netted backhand from his opponent.
The four-time champion comfortably closed out the set and broke in the third game of the second before Posipisil broke back to stay alive in the contest.
Djokovic then saved two break points to hold for 3-3.
The world No1 edged ahead once again, breaking for 4-3 and this time he didn’t look back, taking the match on a long forehand from Pospisil, who dropped just six points on his first serve but was a poor 33 per cent on his second, which Djokovic exploited brilliantly.
“This was my first match since the Australian Open final (on February 1), so I’m still looking for that rhythm on the court,” said Djokovic.
“But I managed to stay mentally tough and patient in rallies. As soon as we get through the rally, I have a better chance of winning. He’s a very flashy player, aggressive, goes after his shots.
“He served well in the first set, I just utilised my opportunities. His second serve, when his first serve percentage dropped, I knew that was my chance and I won a lot of those second serve points. I think that’s what decided the match, even though my serve wasn’t at the level where I wanted it to be today. So hopefully the next match can be better.”
His second round tie on Wednesday will be against Andrey Golubev, a Russian-born Kazakh ranked 107 in the world.
