"Mentally very important win" - Djokovic after record-setting win over Monfils

Novak Djokovic defeated Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 in Madrid and it was a record-setting win because no player before has ever held an 18-0 H2H against another player.

That was until yesterday when Djokovic became the first man to hold an 18-0 ATP Head2Head record against an opponent in the Open era. Several matchups were tied at 17-0. Aksed about it, Djokovic said:

"I don't have any explanation for that, I just try to approach it like any other match. I guess his game is suitable to my game in terms of playing style. But we've had some very close matchups. The last time we played in Dubai he had match points, so that could have easily broken the record. I don't think about that too much. For me mentally this is a very important win.”

Djokovic was pleased with his game overall explaining:

“I played one of the most athletic and quickest players that we have in the game,” Djokovic said. “I know his game very well. I know I have to always be ready that another ball will always come back from his part of the court, that you have to constantly try to have a controlled aggression… and dictate the point. I was moving well, dictating with the forehand side, moving him around the court and finding my serve [and] also the last few service games, [finding my] return.”