Novak Djokovic has paid tribute to the playing style of Radek Stepanek following his 6-4 6-4 7-5 victory over the Czech.
The world number one needed just three breaks of serve to overcome Stepanek in 142 minutes on Friday evening.
Nevertheless, Djokovic enjoyed facing Stepanek and believes that his willingness to volley is a breath of fresh air in the modern game.
"Absolutely it was great. Great match and great fun," said Djokovic. "It's always tricky to play Radek. He's a talented player.
"He's skillful on the net and he was not giving me a lot of rhythm - he was changing up the pace on the ball.
"Nowadays everything is based on the baseline. It's nice to see somebody coming to the net."
Djokovic now holds a 9-1 head-to-head record over Stepanek.
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
