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Djokovic speaks up on Serbian troubles

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:50:31 +0000

World number one Novak Djokovic said his country was always at the forefront of his thinking when he stepped out to play on the ATP Tour.

Djokovic, who wears his hear on his sleeve, has never hidden that fact that he wanted the world to view Serbia in a better light. Despite all his remarkable achievements on the tennis court, Djokovic still feels the press has been particularly harsh towards his country of birth.

"The press has been very bad about Serbia in the last 20 years. The main objective of the press whenever Serbia is discussed, is the negative side," Djokovic told dpa in an interview on Tuesday.

Djokovic said he embraced the opportunity to represent his country with distinction, despite the pressure that came with it.

"It took me some time to understand when I was younger how serious the situation in our country was, especially after the war. In 1999 when I was 12, and when I was five also in 1992," said Djokovic.

"The violence, the criminal, all these kind of things. This is definitely not something I support and I would like to change it, as somebody that comes from the country," he added.

Questioned on whether he had ever felt prejudiced against when playing on the international circuit, Djokovic said: "It is a good question, because I remember when I was coming with my father and playing junior tournaments around the world. Most of the time when we said where we come from people got very cautious and very careful about what they do next with us.

"We had a very bad feeling. First of all because I don't think that anyone should be prejudiced about people or where they come from or their religion," he added.

"But, again, I understand it because most of the world was presenting Serbia in a bad way. It started like that, but all of the time people appreciated me and my family because they understand that what we do, we do it with clear heart and clear conscience.

"People respected me because of my success, and this was important, to allow people to see my real personality and to see that Serbian people are good and that they can be good."

Djokovic crashes in Rome Masters

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:42:28 +0000

World number one Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Rome Masters at the hands of big-serving Tomas Berdych on Friday while Maria Sharapova withdrew from the women's event through illness.

Australia's remaining entrant, ninth-seeded Sam Stosur, lost to No.3 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4 1-6 6-3

But Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a seventh men's title in the Italian capital with a three-set triumph over Spanish compatriot David Ferrer.

Berdych, who had beaten top-seeded Djokovic only once in their last 14 meetings, prevailed 2-6 7-5 6-4 to book himself an unlikely place in the semi-finals against Nadal and boost his chances ahead of the French Open which gets underway on May 26.

'I lost this match by myself,' admitted Djokovic, who had led by a set and 5-2 and had suffered a second round loss to Grigor Dimitrov at last week's Madrid Masters.

'I just lost a bit of concentration. I started playing more defensively.

'The match turned around, he gained confidence and I had a few unforced errors.

'At this level you have to take the opportunities when they come to you.'

Defending champion Nadal came through a tough quarter-final against Ferrer prevailing 6-4 4-6 6-2 in a 2hr 46min slug-fest.

It was Nadal's second win over Ferrer inside a fortnight after his quarter-final victory on his way to the Madrid Masters title last week.

'I played a great match against a difficult opponent... so this victory for me is very special,' said Nadal.

After his feat, Berdych said he put his past record against Djokovic to the back of his mind.

'I had the same motivation as in any other match so there was no question about looking for motivation,' said Berdych.

'Even if the record with him wasn't good, one day you have to break it.

'Every streak has to finish some time, and I'm happy that it was today.'

Nadal is seeded only fifth having missed seven months of action because of a knee injury.

However, he has been in great form since his return in February, winning five titles and reaching seven finals.

French surprise package Benoit Paire reached his first Masters semi-final with a 6-1 6-0 win over Spaniard Marcel Granollers.

He will face either number two seed Roger Federer or Poland's Jerzy Janowicz for a place in the final.

Meanwhile, Sharapova said the thought of not recovering in time to defend her French Open title had prompted her to pull out of the Rome Open before her quarter-final.

Sharapova, a two-time winner and the world number two, had been due to play Italy's Sara Errani, who she defeated in last year's French Open final.

However, the Russian announced her withdrawal on Friday morning, citing sickness and claiming she had run a temperature overnight.

'I've a lot on my schedule and they all mean a lot for me and obviously with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions,' said Sharapova, who was runner-up to Serena Williams in Madrid last weekend.

Top seed Williams sailed through to her semi-final with a 6-2 6-0 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, her 22nd successive win this year.

Williams said she could understand Sharapova's decision to withdraw.

'It's definitely taking a chance and sometimes you might feel like preparing well for the Roland Garros, which is probably the most difficult Slam to win, and you want to give yourself the best chance and sometimes this is what you have to do.'

Errani, the world number six, will now go through to the semi-finals to meet Azarenka.

Romanian qualifier Simona Halep reached her first major semi-final, saving two match points on her way to beating Jelena Jankovic 4-6 6-0 7-5.

Williams awaits Halep in the semis.

Novak Djokovic's Recent Inconsistencies Make Him the X-Factor at French Open

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:40:28 +0000

Novak Djokovic will come into the 2013 French Open with the No. 1 ranking firmly in his pocket but without the pre-tournament form he would have desired.

The Serbian international looked very strong heading into Roland Garros with a defeat of Rafael Nadal on red clay earlier in the month. However, he then backed that up with consecutive defeats to Grigor Dimitrov (second round, Madrid Open) and Tomas Berdych (quarterfinals, Italian Open) to seemingly undo all the hard work he'd done and cast a huge question mark about his French Open chances.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The French Open remains the only outstanding jewel in Djokovic's crown, and with the Serbian playing some excellent tennis earlier in the year, 2013 was looking like a great opportunity to end that drought—especially given Nadal's injury problems at the time.

Yet so much can change in a week of tennis. Djokovic has gone from being a possible favorite to being a distant second behind the clay-court king, Nadal.

Nadal's stock is rising with each and every tournament and he is primed for another French Open title. Djokovic, on the other hand, will be lucky to even make it to the final at this rate and has lost the rhythm that we've become so accustomed to from him.

And yet, as we know so well, that rhythm can be just one game away.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Djokovic is truly explosive on his day and has shown that he is the best player in the world. On any surface, against any opponent—he is the world No. 1.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

He showed it in the first Grand Slam of the year and could very well show it again at Roland Garros next week. After all, so much can change in a week of tennis, and as quickly as the Serbian was considered "out of form," he could again be touted as the man most likely to topple Nadal in Paris.

Djokovic—the world No. 1—is the X-factor at Roland Garros this year.

Nadal will be the clear favorite, and aside from that, there are few men capable of beating him this year.

The likes of David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro and Roger Federer will threaten, but they do not have the dominance of Nadal. The only man capable of beating him is Djokovic, and even then, it will take a truly special performance by the 25-year-old—an X-factor performance if there was one.

Djokovic will no doubt be in full preparation-mode for the upcoming Grand Slam and told the ATP that he felt it was "the most important event of the year" for him.

How he fares over those two weeks in Paris still remains to be seen, but it's almost impossible to rule out the best player in the world here. His proven success is second to none and even on clay, stands as the best possible chance to take down Nadal and end the Spaniard's French Open dominance.

Can it happen? Absolutely. Will it happen? Well, that's still up in the air.

At the moment, the ball is seemingly in Djokovic's court.

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Tomas Berdych stuns Novak Djokovic in Italian Open quarterfinals

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:50:52 +0000

Novak Djokovic has lost before the semifinals in back-to-back tournaments. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

ROME — Tomas Berdych upset Novak Djokovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open on Friday, snapping an 11-match losing streak against the world No. 1. Here are three thoughts on the two-hour, 22-minute match:

• Letdowns plague Djokovic: For all the questions surrounding Djokovic’s health after he sprained his ankle in Davis Cup in April and looked on the verge of withdrawing last month from Monte Carlo (where he went on to topple eight-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final), it’s been the Serb’s mental lapses in his last two matches that have raised questions for his French Open campaign.

Last week, he lost to Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (6), 6-7 (8), 6-3 in his opening match at the Madrid Open. Djokovic stormed back from a 2-4 deficit in the second set, but he was broken immediately in the third set and Dimitrov held on for the biggest victory of his career.

On Friday, Djokovic led 6-2, 5-2, poised to defeat Berdych for the 14th time in 15 matches. But Djokovic dropped the next five games to lose the set and looked both frustrated and exasperated throughout the third set, during which Berdych made a break in the third game stand up despite a wobbly finish.

Djokovic also squandered a 3-0 third-set lead in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Juan Martin Del Potro in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in March. With Friday’s loss, Djokovic fell to 148-5 when winning the first set since 2011, according to the ATP Tour.

“I’m disappointed because I wanted to do well in Rome,” said Djokovic, who has failed to make the finals in five of his last six ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. “I thought I played really well in the first two matches [this week] and today also up 6-2, 5-2. It’s just sport.

Tomas Berdych beat Novak Djokovic for the second time in 15 meetings. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

“I will take some time off now and try to get ready for Paris,” Djokovic said of the French Open, which begins May 26. “It’s the most important event of the year for me. I’m really looking forward to that. I know I can play well on clay, but I shouldn’t allow myself to have these drops during the match and hopefully it doesn’t happen in Roland Garros.”

• Berdych hangs on after rallying: Berdych has an unfortunate reputation of being a very unreliable closer thanks to some memorable collapses against top players earlier in his career. He seemed to be in danger of another one Friday when he blew three consecutive match points while serving at 5-4 in the third set. But Berdych didn’t panic after squandering the 40-0 lead. At deuce, he hit a service winner wide. And on his fourth match point, he fired his ninth ace.

The game has always been there for the 27-year-old Berdych, who has made the semifinals or better at the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. It’s good to see further proof that the mind is getting there, too.

• Embracing ATP parity: Here’s a look at the most surprising semifinalists at the five Masters tournaments this year: Del Potro in Indian Wells; Tommy Haas and Richard Gasquet in Miami; Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo; Stanislas Wawrinka in Madrid; and now Berdych and Benoit Paire in Rome. Del Potro and Berdych may be the least surprising names, but Del Potro had to beat Andy Murray — who had led the head-to-head 5-1 — in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals (followed by Djokovic in the semifinals) and Berdych needed to oust Djokovic to earn his spot this week. I enjoy watching these guys in the second tier and below step up. Now let’s see them translate it to the Slams.

Djokovic crashes in Rome, ailing Sharapova pulls out

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:35:27 +0000

World number one Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Rome Masters at the hands of Tomas Berdych on Friday while Maria Sharapova withdrew from the women's event through illness.

But Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a seventh title in the Italian capital with a three-set triumph over Spanish compatriot David Ferrer.

Second seed Roger Federer also made the semi-finals by overcoming big-hitting Pole Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to set up a clash with French upstart Benoit Paire

Berdych, who had beaten top-seeded Djokovic only once in their last 14 meetings, prevailed 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to book himself an unlikely place in the semi-finals against Nadal and boost his chances ahead of the French Open which gets underway on May 26.

"I lost this match by myself," admitted Djokovic, who had led by a set and 5-2 and had suffered a second round loss to Grigor Dimitrov at last week's Madrid Masters.

"I just lost a bit of concentration. I started playing more defensively.

"The match turned around, he gained confidence and I had a few unforced errors.

"At this level you have to take the opportunities when they come to you."

Defending champion Nadal came through a tough quarter-final against Ferrer prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a 2hr 46min slug-fest.

It was Nadal's second win over Ferrer inside a fortnight after his quarter-final victory on his way to the Madrid Masters title last week.

"I played a great match against a difficult opponent... so this victory for me is very special," said Nadal.

After his feat, Berdych said he put his past record against Djokovic to the back of his mind.

"I had the same motivation as in any other match so there was no question about looking for motivation," said Berdych.

"Even if the record with him wasn't good, one day you have to break it.

"Every streak has to finish some time, and I'm happy that it was today."

Nadal came into this year's tournament seeded only fifth having missed seven months of action because of a knee injury.

However, he has been in great form since his return in February, winning five titles and reaching seven finals.

French surprise package Benoit Paire reached his first Masters semi-final with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Spaniard Marcel Granollers.

Meanwhile, Sharapova said the thought of not recovering in time to defend her French Open title had prompted her to pull out of the Rome Open before her quarter-final.

Sharapova, a two-time winner and the world number two, had been due to play Italy's Sara Errani, who she defeated in last year's French Open final.

However, the Russian announced her withdrawal on Friday morning, citing sickness and claiming she had run a temperature overnight.

"I've a lot on my schedule and they all mean a lot for me and obviously with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions," said Sharapova, who was runner-up to Serena Williams in Madrid last weekend.

Asked whether the fact that it was her boyfriend's (Grigor Dimitrov) birthday on Thursday was a factor, she replied: "Is that a question or a comment? I don't think that has anything to do with it."

Top seed Williams, meanwhile, sailed through to her semi-final with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

It was the American's 22nd successive win this year.

Williams said she could understand Sharapova's decision to withdraw.

"It's definitely taking a chance and sometimes you might feel like preparing well for the Roland Garros, which is probably the most difficult Slam to win, and you want to give yourself the best chance and sometimes this is what you have to do."

Errani, the world number six, will now go through to the semi-finals to meet Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Romanian qualifier Simona Halep reached her first major semi-final, saving two match points on her way to beating Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Williams awaits Halep in the semi-finals.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns a ball to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych during their quarter-final match on May 17, 2013 at the Rome Masters. Berdych, who had beaten top-seeded Djokovic only once in their last 14 meetings, prevailed 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Tomas Berdych celebrates after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Rome Masters on May 17, 2013. Big-serving Czech Berdych caused the first major upset of the Rome Masters when he ousted Serbia's Djokovic, the world number one.

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Spain's David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 during their quarter-final match on May 17, 2013 at the Rome tennis Masters.

American Serena Williams returns a ball to Spanish Carla Suarez Navarro during their quarte-finals match on May 17, 2013 at the Rome Masters. Williams won 6-2, 6-0.

Top seed Novak Djokovic bounced by Tomas Berdych in Rome

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:19:10 +0000

Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych celebrates after defeating Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open on Friday. (Ricardo De Luca/Associated Press)

Novak Djokovic can't seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats.

The top-ranked Serb wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the Italian Open quarterfinals Friday.

In the semifinals, Berdych will face six-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. While he struggled at times, Nadal appeared sharper than in his three-set win over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis a day earlier.

In the other half of the draw, Roger Federer overcame an early break in the second set to edge rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a night match at the Foro Italico.

Federer will play Benoit Paire, the 36th-ranked Frenchman who routed Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-1, 6-0 to reach his first Masters series semifinal.

In the women's tournament, top-ranked Serena Williams rolled past Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 to extend her winning run to a career-best 22 matches. Williams will face Romanian qualifier Simona Halep, who rallied past two-time Rome champion Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova withdrew before her quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Sara Errani due to illness. Errani, the first Italian semifinalist in this tournament since Raffaella Reggi won the 1985 event in Taranto, will face third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who held off ninth-seeded Sam Stosur 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Struggling streak

It's the second consecutive week that Djokovic has struggled, having also lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Madrid Open after being bothered by a right ankle injury.

Djokovic said he had been playing pain free this week.

Still, he will need to get his game in shape in a hurry with the French Open, the year's second Grand Slam, starting May 26.

"I know I can play well on clay and so I shouldn't allow myself to have these drops, and let's hope it won't happen for Roland Garros," Djokovic said about the only major he hasn't won. "I'm fine. I just lost my rhythm."

Djokovic served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but Berdych ripped a backhand winner that landed on the line on his first break point and won the final four games of the set.

"It's a very strange situation," Djokovic said. "I played very well and was two points from winning. Then the entire match changed and I was a different player."

It's the first time Berdych has reached the semifinals in eight appearances in Rome, having been eliminated four times in the quarters.

The tall Czech took control of the match with his big first serve, and by coming forward to angle shots into the corners to set up easy volleys.

Djokovic had trouble returning Berdych's first serve and also complained about the court's surface early on.

In the third set, Berdych went ahead with an early break and then shook off some nerves to close the match out on his fourth match point with a big serve out wide that Djokovic could barely get his racket on.

As overcast skies gave way to sunshine, the court dried out, favoring Berdych's power game.

"I lost the concentration," Djokovic said. "I started playing more defensively. ... He started playing more confidently, stepping into the court and taking advantage of his opportunities."

It was only Berdych's second win in 15 career meetings with Djokovic, with his only previous victory coming in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinals.

It was also only Berdych's fourth win versus a top-ranked player in 20 attempts, with all three previous wins coming against Federer.

"He has been for quite a few years just behind the top four," Djokovic said. "He's able to play big matches. He has proven that. So (he) is definitely a very dangerous player on any surface with a serve like that."

Djokovic was 148-4 when winning the first set since 2011, according to the ATP.

Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those runs came a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003.

"I've been pretty consistent, and pretty healthy — knock on wood," Williams said. "I feel great — never felt better."

Martina Navratilova established the longest women's win run in the Open Era at 74 matches in 1984.

Williams' only title here came in 2002, when she beat Justine Henin in the final. That was also the year she won her only French Open title. Last year in Paris, Williams lost in the opening round of a major for the first time, falling to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France.

Sharapova said he was struggling with an illness she first contracted last week, when she was runner-up to Williams in Madrid, although she showed no problems Thursday as she beat 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1.

"I was already a bit off in Madrid and played though it and it came back last night and I got sick again and it's not smart to compete again," said Sharapova, adding that she had a fever after beating Stephens. "Obviously, with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions."

Novak Djokovic's Poor Form Guarantees French Open Triumph for Rafael Nadal

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:40:18 +0000

Novak Djokovic may be the No. 1-ranked player in the world, but his recent play doesn't reflect that. With the French Open drawing near, all signs point to Rafael Nadal being the runaway winner of the year's second Grand Slam.

While the Serbian star has had a great year overall with a 28-4 record and three titles, his past two tournaments have not gone according to plan. Not only did Djokovic bow out in the second round of the Madrid Open against Grigor Dimitrov last week, but he was also upset by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters on Friday, according to Sky Sports.

It's difficult to say why Djokovic is suddenly struggling, but perhaps a minor injury has something to do with it. According to BBC Sport, Djokovic has been bothered by pain in his ankle, but the world's top player certainly didn't use that as an excuse.

I know I can play well on clay and so I shouldn't allow myself to have these drops. Let's hope it won't happen for Roland Garros, Djokovic said of the French Open, the only major he has not won. I'm fine. I just lost my rhythm. It's a very strange situation.

It's a strange situation, indeed, as Djokovic seems to be playing his worst tennis at a time when he should be playing his best. With both the French Open and Wimbledon coming up over the next several weeks, Djoker must figure out a way to straighten out his game. With that said, it's unlikely that he'll figure something out by the time the French Open starts in little over a week.

Things have actually played out perfectly for Djokovic recently, but his form isn't good enough to take advantage of it. Sky Sports is reporting that world No. 2 Andy Murray could miss the French Open due to a back injury, so one hurdle is potentially already out of Djokovic's way.

In addition to that, Nadal is only the No. 5-ranked player at the moment. It's obvious that he is really the second or third-best player at worst, but the fact that he missed seven months with a knee injury affected his ranking adversely. While that is bad news for Nadal in terms of seeding, it could be beneficial to Djokovic as he may not have to face him until the finals.

With the way Djokovic is playing, however, he could very easily fall short of the finals anyway. He has been losing to inferior players in recent weeks and simply doesn't look like the guy who has won six career Grand Slams. The only missing piece in Djokovic's career Grand Slam is the French Open, but it's hard to imagine him completing the quartet this year.

Nadal is playing at an extremely high level as he has lost just two matches this year and has five titles to his credit. One of his losses was to Djokovic in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters back in April, but he and Djokovic have been moving in different directions since then. Rafa is 13-0 since that defeat and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, especially on clay.

It can be argued that Nadal is the greatest clay-court player of all time and there is no doubt that he is the best on clay currently. Nadal has won the French Open a modern-era record seven times and all of those victories have come over the course of the past eight years. His dominance at Roland Garros is unprecedented.

Who will win the French Open?

Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Other
Total votes: 14

Even at his best, Djokovic would be hard pressed to beat Nadal in the French Open. Djokovic is barely showcasing a fraction of his ability right now, though, so knocking off Nadal is out of the question. There is no margin for error when facing Nadal on clay, and Djokovic is simply making far too many mistakes and doesn't seem to be locked in.

Although it isn't as if Nadal needed any help winning the French Open, Murray's injury, Roger Federer's declining play and especially Djokovic's rough patch all but ensure an eighth French Open triumph for Rafa.

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Top-ranked Djokovic beaten by Berdych in Rome

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:31:14 +0000

ROME (AP) — Novak Djokovic can't seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats.