Novak Djokovic will face former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Qatar Open as he goes in search of his first title of the year. The veteran is returning to the event in Doha for the first time since 2018 after winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
The Qatar Open is due to get underway on Monday, with Djokovic joining the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur at the event.
Karen Khachanov is the reigning champion, having overcome Jakub Mensik in the final last year.
Djokovic will take on world No. 10 Berrettini in his opening encounter, with the duo going head-to-head for the fifth time.
The two players went up against each other in the 2021 Wimbledon final as the Italian reached a Grand Slam showpiece match for the first time in his career.
And Berrettini, who has won 10 ATP singles titles, gave his opponent a huge scare as he won the first set on a tiebreak, before the Serbian fought back to win the next three sets and lift the trophy.
Djokovic and Berrettini also met in the French Open and US Open that year, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion coming out on top in both of those. And Berrettini will be desperate to finally overcome the 37-year-old in Doha after showing he has enough attributes to pull off a shock.
The first round of the Qatar Open has thrown up a string of blockbuster clashes, with last year’s winner Khachanov set to take on Medvedev.
Alcaraz has been drawn against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, while world No. 10 Andrey Rublev will face off against Alexander Bublik.
Elsewhere in the draw, Stefanos Tsitsipas will play against the in-form Hamad Medjedovic, with Britain’s Jack Draper scheduled to take on Alexei Popyrin.
Djokovic could meet Alcaraz on the way to the final as the two stars are in the same half of the draw.
But one player the Serbian won’t come up against is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner after the Italian was handed a three-month ban after failing two anti-doping tests last year.
A statement from Sinner, which was issued by his lawyers on Saturday, read: “This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.
“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk