Australian Open 2021: 'Getting even better' - Mats Wilander after 'frightening' Novak Djokovic win

ByMarcus Foley

Updated 08/02/2021 at 14:40 GMT

Mats Wilander insists that reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is getting better. The Serbian dismissed Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-1 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday. It was a performance that left Wilander purring, and left the seven-time Grand Slam winner fearing for the rest of the field.

Novak Djokovic is getting better. That is according to Eurosport expert Mats Wilander.

The Serbian world number one produced a ruthlessly efficient performance to beat Jeremy Chardy in straight sets, 6-3 6-1 6-2, at the Australian Open on Monday. It was a performance that Eurosport commentator Simon Reed deemed “frightening”.

And Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, went a step further, saying during his post-match analysis in the Eurosport Cube that he felt the reigning champion was getting better.

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“There are no holes in his game. He can hit winners from both sides. It seems very difficult to move him away from the baseline,” began Wilander.

He looks so sharp.

"Chardy was playing against the best returner of all time, and it is difficult when you are only winning 60% of the points when you get the first serve in against Novak.

"This is a court he loves to play on, the surface just seems to be so perfect for him. It is impossible to get the ball out of his strike zone on both sides."

'Getting even better' - Wilander after 'frightening' Djokovic win

Djokovic took just 91 minutes to dispatch Chardy, hitting 41 winners in a dominant display, and Wilander added that the Serb might be playing the best tennis of his career.

'Djokovic knows he should have won that' - Chardy fights for point

“It looks immediately as if he is playing as well as he was in the last couple of rounds last year, he’s back and it’s like nothing changed,” added Wilander.

It’s the same Novak and he’s playing at the same level. Is he getting better? I think he’s maybe getting even better.

Next up for Djokovic is a second-round encounter with Frances Tiafoe.

The Australian Open is live on Eurosport. Watch every match live and ad-free on the Eurosport app and eurosport.co.uk. You can download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.

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