"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence", says Novak Djokovic as he reaches 3rd round of Roland Garros
Jun 01, 2023
Paris [France], June 1 : On Monday, the World No. 3 seeded Novak Djokovic made a statement after defeating American Aleksandar Kovacevic in Paris. After the match, he wrote on the lens of a camera that, Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.
On Wednesday, Novak Djokovic, a Serb by nationality defeated Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in round two of Roland Garros. Djokovic, who is chasing a men's record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, survived a marathon first set against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics before prevailing 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 6-3.
Speaking to reporters after his win, Djokovic said: "I would say it again, but I don't need to because you have my quotes if you want to reflect on that", according to Sky Sports.
He further added, "Of course, I'm aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is. It's something that I stand for. So that's all. I have no more comment on that. I said what I needed to say."
After defeating Marton Fucsovics, 36-year-old Novak Djokovic made a smiley face with his signature on the camera lens instead of writing any statement about Kosovo.
The tension started after Serbs boycotted last month's local elections held in northern Kosovo, where Serbs are a majority, and newly-elected ethnic Albanian mayors moved into their offices with the help of Kosovo's riot police.
Over the weekend, violent clashes between Kosovo's police and NATO-led peacekeepers on one side, and local Serbs on the other left several people injured on both sides.
36-year-old and two-time champion of Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic reaches into the third round after defeating Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in round two on Wednesday at the Philippe-Chatrier court.
The Serb, Novak Djokovic defeated Marton Fucsovics in three straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-0, 6-3.
The duration of the first set went on to an astonishing one hour, 30 minutes but Novak Djokovic prevailed and won the first set.
After the win over Marton Fucsovics Djokovic reached his 18th consecutive third round here in Roland Garros.
In the first set of the match, Novak was leading 3-0 but later found himself serving at 5-3, as his opponent made a comeback.
Novak Djokovic struggled a bit to find his rhythm in the first set. He even shouted in despair towards his player's box as he struggled with his footwork in the first set.
Later, Djokovic went on to show his dominance in the tiebreak round of the first set, he won the tiebreak round with a score of 7-2.
In the second set, the World No.3 seeded player easily cruised past his opponent and won the set by 6-6.
To win the third set, Djokovic was again made to work hard by his opponent Fucsovics. The third set ended with a score of 6-3.
After the match, the 22-time grand slam winner, Novak Djokovic said, "I'm very happy with the match, I had a lot of intensity throughout the first set, which was difficult for me," Djokovic told Fabrice Santoro on the court. "I hope that I amused you, especially in the first set. It wasn't enjoyable for me, but after it, now I can say, I enjoyed it", as per the official website of Roland Garros.
Djokovic further went on to appreciate his opponent as he said, "Fucsovics is good on all surfaces. He has nothing to lose when he comes out on this stage against me."
While concluding he said, "These night sessions are very special."
Novak Djokovic will face Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round of Roland Garros.