Novak Djokovic lights up Tel Aviv
In his first time playing in Israel since a Davis Cup fixture 16 years ago, Novak Djokovic has shown that he's back to his best form, winning 6-3 6-4 in the final of the Tel Aviv Watergen Open.
Novak Djokovic proved too good for Marin Cilic in the final of the indoor hardcourt Tel Aviv Watergen Open last Sunday – the first ATP Tour event in Israel since 1996.
Djokovic won 6-3 6-4 and did not lose a set in the whole tournament, showing he is back to his best form.
It was his first time playing in Israel since a Davis Cup fixture 16 years ago.
“I hadn’t played a tournament in three months, so it was really extra motivation for me to really do well, particularly because people have been so friendly, and so supportive of me, throughout the week,” Djokovic said.
“The way people treated us when we landed in Israel, all the way to the last moments now of our stay here, has been truly wonderful.
“I am very grateful, because it was more than a tournament for me – it was great connections that we established with people.”
Cilic, who defeated Dominic Thiem in the earlier rounds, said “It was a fantastic week for me, celebrating my birthday … next time I’m buying drinks.”
Djokovic spent some time in between his matches running a tennis clinic on court with Israeli kids, and clearly enjoyed himself as he hit rallies with them, signed autographs and met some children with cancer, shaking their hands.
He was also due to play doubles with retiring 45-year-old Israeli Jonathan Erlich, but Erlich had to withdraw before their first round match due to suffering back spasms.
Djokovic’s only career doubles title win was with Erlich in 2010 at the Queen’s Cup in London.
Erlich said, “I can say that even if I were 50 per cent fit, I’d get to play, because I know that the crowd was waiting for my match, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it.”
Although Erlich didn’t get to play, he received a big round of applause from the crowd when he walked onto the court for the final time, alongside his good friend, Djokovic.
Among his career highlights, Erlich won the 2008 Australian Open doubles title with fellow Israeli Andy Ram.
The doubles final in Tel Aviv was won by Dutch-Indian pair Matwe Middelkoop and Rohan Bopanna.
Russian-Israeli Aslan Karatsev lost in the first round of the singles, Jewish Argentine Diego Schwartzman bowed out in the second round to 60th-ranked Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, and after defeating fellow Israeli Yshai Oliel, Edan Leshem lost to Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
Although disappointed at losing in the early rounds, Schwartzman, ranked 17 in the world, said he enjoyed his first visit to Israel.
“I will come back here for sure … on holidays, or to play matches,” he said.
In July, the Israeli Tennis Association and Watergen – an Israeli company that makes devices that can produce water from air – announced that they were bringing back the tournament as the Tel Aviv Watergen Open.
comments