Novak Djokovic is unlikely to forget his maiden appearance at the Geneva Open.
In town to get more matches on clay before his title defence at Roland Garros next week, Djokovic came through a rain-delayed opener at the ATP 250 event in the Parc des Eaux-Vives, reeling off the last six games in a row to claim a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Yannick Hanfmann of Germany.
The result brought up a notable milestone for the Serbian world No 1, who may be without a title this season but can at least console himself in the knowledge that he has now reached 1,100 tour-level wins, a record bettered only by Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer (with 1,274 and 1,251 respectively).
While that may seem little more than a footnote in the career of a man who has won 24 majors and 40 Masters 1000 titles, Djokovic has always appreciated such landmarks. This one will have felt all the more significant for having been achieved on the occasion of his 37th birthday.
“The key was the birthday,” said Djokovic, who will face either Denis Shapovalov or Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter-finals. “My birthday probably wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t win the match, but it’s nice to be here for the first time at this tournament, and to have my family coming here to support as well.
“I grew up with my aunt and my uncle and my two cousins for most of my life. We don’t get a chance to see each other that much lately, so it’s really nice. I’m getting some really quality time on the court, but also off the court.”
The Serb was presented with a cake after the match as the crowd serenaded him with a chorus of Happy Birthday. For a time, though, the prospective celebrations were in jeopardy. Serving for the opening set after breaking in the sixth game, Djokovic was forced to save five break points either side of a rain delay lasting more than a hour. Having done so, he went into an alarming tailspin. Although Hanfmann landed some heavy blows with his outstanding two-fisted backhand, striking the ball sweetly off the ground as he reeled off three straight games and held a break point for a fourth, it was a passage reminiscent of Djokovic’s uncharacteristically lacklustre defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in Rome, where he looked almost indifferent to the outcome. Backhands dipped into the net. Forehands sailed wide. One drop shot drifted into the doubles alley, another bounced before even reaching the net.
Stranger than the mistakes themselves was Djokovic’s response to them. Having saved two break points in his opening service game, he smiled and kicked half-heartedly at the clay after gifting Hanfmann a third. At one point, the Serb even stifled a yawn. In Rome, it was easy to put his below-par display down to the lingering effects of being struck on the head by a metal water bottle that fell from a spectator’s backpack. Here, his torpor seemed more puzzling, given his obvious need for more time on the match court after skipping the Madrid Open and falling early in Rome.
A blip? Probably. Whatever happens in Geneva, Djokovic will arrive in Paris among the chief title contenders. He may be yet to reach a final this season, but he has demonstrated his ability to rouse himself on the big stages time and again, defeat to Jannik Sinner in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals being merely the exception that proves the rule. The affection he was afforded by the Geneva crowd may yet prove the catalyst for a timely upturn of fortune.
“I’m very grateful to all the people who came out to support today. Thank you so much for singing the Happy Birthday song, that really touched me,” Djokovic told his admirers afterwards. “I’m very happy to win on this special day.”