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Miami Open Early Round Challenge: Novak Djokovic Takes On Benoit Paire

By Harry Floyd

INDIAN WELLS, CA - MARCH 11: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot during his match against Taro Daniel of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden of the Czech Republic on March 11, 2018 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
INDIAN WELLS, CA - MARCH 11: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot during his match against Taro Daniel of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden of the Czech Republic on March 11, 2018 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images) /
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Novak Djokovic meets Benoit Paire first at the 2018 Miami Open. The Serbian is apparently pain free in his elbow going into the action.

Tomorrow is a major test for Serbian great Novak Djokovic at the 2018 Miami Open. He takes on Benoit Paire first on the men’s singles side. While Nole and doubles partner Viktor Troicki dropped their round of 32 match, all eyes are on his performance on the singles side.

Djokovic is 1-0 against Paire throughout his career. The two have faced one another just the one time back on the 2015 ATP World Tour. Paire is the current world No. 47 in men’s singles tennis. He has reached as high as the world No. 18 ranking. Typically, Djokovic would be considered the clearcut favorite, but his recent injury troubles make their meeting all the more interesting. Nole does, however, claim to be pain free in his elbow heading into the ATP action.

At Indian Wells, Djokovic splashed out in his opener. That came after falling to Hyeon Chung of South Korea at the Australian Open earlier this year. His elbow has gotten the best of him since the middle months of last year, but the 2018 Miami Open could be a turning point for the Serbian tennis great. He has seen tons of success here throughout his career.

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Novak Djokovic is a six-time champion in men’s singles at the Miami Open. He is tied with tennis legend Andre Agassi holding the six titles at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

While Roger Federer may be the favorite at the Miami Open, a healthy Djokovic is capable of anything. If his elbow pain is truly gone, or at least drastically reduced, there is no doubt that the former world No. 1 can make a title run at the event. He enters play as the ninth seed on the men’s singles side. Despite his intermittent play in recent months due to the ongoing injury issues, Djokovic is the current world No. 12 on the ATP World Tour. He is on the verge of breaking back into the ATP Top 10. Paire, unseeded this week, has his work cut out for him.

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Fans and players alike will be watching Djokovic as he opens play on the men’s singles side at the Miami Open. He takes on Paire Friday afternoon at the event. The French tennis player is coming off of a win over German veteran Mischa Zverev. Stay tuned to see how Djokovic fares as he kicks off his play at the 2018 Miami Open.

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