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Sport Tennis

Doubles win for Novak Djokovic secures Serbia’s Davis Cup status

Former World No 1 teams up with Medjedovic to beat Thanos and Tsitsipas of Greece



Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Greece's Petros Tsitsipas and Aristotelis Thanos during the group stage men's doubles match of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade on Sunday.
Image Credit: AFP

Belgrade: Former world No 1 Novak Djokovic teamed up with doubles partner Hamad Medjedovic on Sunday to seal a 3-0 play-off win over Greece which keeps Serbia in World Group I of the Davis Cup.

The 37-year-old, playing his first competitive tennis since losing in the third round of the US Open, and his 21-year-old teammate won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 against Aristotelis Thanos and Petros Tsitsipas, the younger brother of Stefanos, who had to withdraw.

On Saturday, Miomir Kecmanovic had given Serbia their first point by beating Thanos 6-3, 6-3 before Djokovic blew away Ioannis Xilas, ranked 770 in the world, 6-0, 6-1 in just 45 minutes.

Djokovic said on Saturday that it “may be the last time” he plays in front of a Belgrade Davis Cup audience because of a change in format.

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“Some young tennis players who will defend the colours of the national team need to take over the helm,” he said.

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