Tennis news - Novak Djokovic passes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga test to make round three
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ByEurosport
Updated 17/01/2019 at 15:16 GMT
Novak Djokovic beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-5 6-4 to progress to the third round of the Australian Open.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during their men's singles match on day four of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne early January 18, 2019
Image credit: Getty Images
The Serb, chasing a record seventh title in Melbourne, will now face Denis Shapovalov in the next round.
The 31-year-old is yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year but had to dig deep at times to overcome the challenge of Tsonga.
While Djokovic is seeking a third successive Grand Slam title, Tsonga has been on a different trajectory, with his ranking slipping to 177 after his 2018 season was cut short by knee injury in April.
The gap between the players' standing was on full show as Djokovic cruised to victory in two hours and four minutes, setting up a mouthwatering intergenerational clash with Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov.
The win may have looked comfortable, but Djokovic said that Tsonga was a tough opponent and a man he's happy to see back at the top level.
"Because of his injuries, he dropped his ranking, but the ranking is definitely not showing the right picture of his quality," Djokovic said.
"I'm glad to see him playing. I hope that he can get back where he deserves: at the top of the tennis game."
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Djokovic downs Tsonga to reach third round
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