When Novak Djokovic says he is feeling better, opponents should prepare for a healthy dose of elite tennis.
Djokovic was good but not perfect in Wednesday's opening round of the Qatar Open, beating Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 6-1. It was the same score as Tuesday's victory over Dusan Lajovic. Whatever it was that caused Djokovic to miss Sunday's final at Abu Dhabi is a thing of the past.
After several errors in the first set, the world's No. 1 player settled in for a finale display of focus and controlled aggression. Stakovsky challenged, but Djokovic had answers, forcing his opponent into mistakes that settled the match.
Qatar is another step in Djokovic's run-up to the year's first grand-slam event. The Australian Open begins Jan. 19, and Djokovic is a four-time winner. He is out to reclaim the title from 2014 winner Stan Wawrinka, who knocked Djokovic out in the final eight.
Next up: a quarterfinal match against seven-seed Ivo Karlovic.
"Honestly, I'm yet to meet a player who enjoys playing him," Djokovic said after Wednesday's match. "It's a big challenge. He is one of the best servers ever to play the game. I'm definitely going to try to get some good sleep so my reaction tomorrow is quick, because I'm going to need that, definitely."
Rafael Nadal continues to struggle, losing his opening match. Other winners Wednesday included David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Roge Gasquet.
Contributing: Sportal.com.au