Madrid Open 2012 Results: Novak Djokovic Must Settle Down or Suffer Early Exit

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is in danger of suffering an early exit at the 2012 Madrid Open unless he tempers his emotions on the court.

Djokovic struggled in his first match against No. 137 Daniel Gimeno-Traver, ultimately winnning 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. It wasn't the dominant performance we're used to seeing from Djokovic in the early rounds, and he was furious about the unconventional blue clay that's being used in this year's Open.

Per BBC.com:

"

To me that's not tennis. Either I come out with football shoes or I invite Chuck Norris to advise me how to play on this court. I hit five balls throughout the whole match. With everything else, I was just trying to keep the ball in the court.

When you slide on the red clay you have a feeling you can stop and recover from that step. But here, whatever you do, you are always slipping. Not a single player - not woman, not man - I didn't hear anyone say 'I like blue clay'.

"

There is no doubt Djokovic is right in his assessment. He's not the only player to complain. The problem I see is that Djokovic seems to be struggling to contain his emotions about the situation. 

There isn't anything he or anyone else can do to change the circumstances of the tournament. The stage has already been set.

Everyone playing in the tournament is dealing with the same issues. They all have to overcome the slippery surface, and as such one of the biggest keys to victory will be how well they handle the adversity.

Djokovic needs to take a page out of Roger Federer's playbook. Federer told the Agence France-Presse:

"

I've played on it for two days, but not on centre court. It feels a bit different than regular clay. Maybe it's the visual aspect. It's been cool and rainy so far here. It will be interesting to see who it is in hot and nice weather. … I have to wait for my match to come around to give a proper opinion.

"

That's the kind of cool-headed approach that will carry over through the tough times. 

Djokovic is the world's No. 1 men's tennis player for a reason. He has elite abilities out on the court, he has a deadly serve and his athleticism gets him out of tough spots. 

If he hopes to win the Madrid Open in 2012 he'll have to cool his jets, too.

Follow @JesseReed78