Djokovic scared him on his way to the Cincinnati quarterfinals and threatened Alcaraz’s number 1

Novak Djokovic increased his record against Frenchman Gael Monfils to 19-0 on Thursdaywhich was the longest undefeated streak against a single opponent in the Open era, and qualified for the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1,000.

The Serbian, number two in the world, did not give Monfils a chancenumber 211, who played in the Cincinnati tournament with a protected rank.

Djokovic’s 19-0 record against Monfils left Rafa Nadal’s mark against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who remains at 18-0 for the moment.

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In a match between veterans, both 36 years old, the Serb won 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and eight minutes.in a center court of the Lindner Family Tennis Center that was almost full to attend the match.

Djokovic’s perfect streak against Monfils began thirteen years agoat the 2005 US Open, when the Serb won in four sets.

Before both players entered the ATP Tour, Monfils managed to defeat Djokovic, but he was unable to repeat himself as a professional.

Djokovic denied him two titles, at Paris Bercy 2009 and at Eastburne 2017and he was also knocked off the track by Cincinnati in the 2011 quarterfinals.

And if the Serbian emerges as the absolute dominator against Monfils, his concrete numbers are even tighter, with a balance of 17 sets to none.

Monfils, who just played in the quarterfinals at the Toronto Masters 1,000, after defeating the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, he paid a single break in the first quarter and served immediately in the secondwhich paved the way for Djokovic to a solid win.

The Serb advanced without particular difficulty, after winning the first round by withdrawing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina because of a back problem.

His next opponent, in the quarterfinals, is the American Taylor Fritzworld number nine, who advanced without playing due to the withdrawal of Serbian Dusan Lajovic.

Djokovic returned to compete in the United States for the first time in two years. Before this year’s edition in Cincinnati, his last match was dated in the 2021 US Open final, when the Serb fell to Russian Daniil Medvedev.

In these two years, Djokovic was not part of the American tours of Indian Wells and Miami (March and April).or of the month of August, for their refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The United States government in April removed the vaccine obligation for non-residents and non-citizens to access the country.

Djokovic will face the Cincinnati tournament, where he was champion in 2018 and 2020, as the last tournament before returning to Flushing Meadows for the US Open.

If he advances in Cincinnati, the Serbian could face German Alexander Zverev in a hypothetical semifinalwhile he will not meet the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz until the finals.

Alcaraz will play his quarterfinal match against Australian Max Purcell this Friday.