Djokovic’s win secured him a spot in the quarterfinals at the ATP 250 event, as elite-level tennis returned to Greece for the first time since 1994. The Telekom Center crowd in Athens offered constant support for the 38-year-old Serb, who moved with his family to Athens earlier this year.
“It feels really like home playing in Athens,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “More than recognition for my tennis achievements, I felt that people here approached me in a friendly and humane way, and that touched my heart.”
Djokovic had lost his past two encounters with the 28-year-old Tabilo and told the crowd: “I’m thrilled to get through tonight. I played against Tabilo and I’ve never won against him, so I was more under tension before the match than I would be before some others.”
Djokovic was brought to tears while watching a tribute video for Croatian tennis great Nikola Pilic, who died earlier this year. Djokovic had trained at Pilic’s academy as a teenager.
“He was more than just a mentor and a coach to me,” Djokovic told the crowd. “He was part of my family — to me and my brothers. He helped so much. I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis