Novak Djokovic thrashes world No.770 as Serbian crowd cheer opponent at Davis Cup
Novak Djokovic absolutely destroyed his opponent at the Davis Cup.
Novak Djokovic beat world No. 770 Ioannis Xilas 6-0, 6-1 in just 38 minutes in a complete mismatch at the Davis Cup. Greece had no players inside the top 500 of the world rankings available after Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled out of the team.
In front of an expectant home crowd in Belgrade, Djokovic stormed out of the blocks and wrapped up the first set in 20 minutes.
When Xilas won his only game, the Serbian crowd were on their feet encouraging the 23-year-old with sympathetic applause.
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But Djokovic continued his form to steamroll his opponent in rapid fashion.
Earlier in the day, Miomir Kecmanovic beat Aristotelis Thanos 6-3, 6-3, meaning Serbia led 2-0 after Djokovic's victory.
Serbia need to win just one of their remaining three matches to secure the additional point that results in a win.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is unsure if he will get to play in front of his home crowd again with the Davis Cup playing all group games in one city, there is no guarantee it will return to Belgrade.
"I don't have any plans, only in the Davis Cup. I really just want to enjoy it because depending on the format and how things unfold in the coming years, maybe this is the last Davis Cup in front of the domestic audience, so I'll enjoy it," he explained.
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"My subjective feeling is that people follow a lot when competitions are held in Serbia, but they also follow competitions around the world. What is beautiful pleases us, we all want it, for as many people as possible to follow.
"Like any other, it is difficult, especially since it is an individual sport, everything depends on you, that is quite cruel.
"We have success at the world level that inspires the young generation to get active, to be interested in tennis and to play it. Since it is a global sport, you have the opportunity to promote your country."
