Novak Djoković

[sheva]

Novak Djokovic: 2012 French Open Will Determine How Much Better He Is Than Nadal



There's no doubt about it. Novak Djokovic is on top of the world.

The only man who comes close to matching him right now is Spaniard Rafael Nadal. Together, the two of them have dominated men's tennis for over a year, leaving Swiss Maestro Roger Federer behind.

This year, since Djokovic won three out of four slams, beat Nadal six times out of six and has lost only three matches (and counting) in the entire year, he is undoubtedly the current king of men's tennis.

The most prestigious grand slam is Wimbledon and the second is probably the US Open, but in 2012 the one that will tell us how much better Novak Djokovic is than Rafael Nadal will be the French Open. Of course, all of the other slams will mean a great deal, but the one that will actually teach us a lot about those two players is Roland Garros.

Here is why.

Nadal always dominates at the French Open, there's no doubt about that. He won four consecutive titles between 2005 and 2008 and only lost in 2009 to Robin Soderling due to tendinitis in his knees, which remains his only loss at Roland Garros.

He continued to win the next two French Opens, beating Soderling in the 2010 final and Roger Federer in 2011.

His magic doesn't only work at Roland Garros, but on all clay surfaces. He was the unchallenged King of Clay for years, as he once won 81 matches in a row on the dirt.

The Spaniard was the clay god until last year, when Djokovic beat him twice in a row on clay.

After the first hardcourt season when Djokovic beat Nadal twice (Miami and Indian Wells), everyone thought that things would change when it came to the clay season. Djokovic was red-hot and he made everyone believe that the tides were changing—even on clay.



When Djokovic absolutely destroyed Nadal at Rome, everyone expected Nadal to lose at the French Open, but Roger Federer beat the Serb in the semis, handing him his first loss of 2011.

That's why Nadal won the French Open this year.

Next year, however, if Djokovic's success continues even to the French Open, we will really know that he is far better than Nadal. It will be like beating Nadal at his own game. Also, the French Open is the only slam that Djokovic hasn't collected, so he could even complete the extremely prestigious "Career Grand Slam."

Of course, the other slams matter too, for Djokovic will definitely be looking for more majors to add to his tally of four, but his goal will surely be to beat the Spanish Bull in his own lair, Roland Garros.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/8639 ... than-nadal

[sheva]

Novak Djokovic, Jelena Ristic outing in Monaco



The World No. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic has been enjoying his off time with his long time girl friend Jelena Ristic in his home town Monaco, where he has been recovering from back injury suffered at the 2011 US Open tournament last month.

The man-in-form Djokovic and Jelena have spending time mostly at shopping and restaurants’, as the couple has ignored paparazzi and onlookers. The pair has visited a health food shop along with Djokovic’s pet dog Pierre and later shop for shoes for the cold season. They also surprised boutiques of the posh holiday resort of Monte Carlo on Sunday. Djokovic said he will recover soon from back injury and hopes to return back to play at Basel Open on Swiss Indoor courts on 31st October.

The 24-year-old Djokovic, who has showed outstanding tennis with ten titles including three Grand Slams at Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Serbian said he has been enjoying weather with Jelena Ristic and when it’s winter time in Europe. The Reports says couple is going to marry soon in October or November, as the as the wedding ceremony will be held at a traditional church in Monaco in Serbia in front of his family and friends.

Djokovic and Jelena also appeared on the on the cover page of a Serbian edition of Hello Magazine, which was released in July. Djokovic said he loves to spend time with Jelena on outing and will marry soon this year

http://www.livetennisguide.com/2011/10/ ... in-monaco/

[sheva]

Rafael Nadal: Novak Djokovic is at good pace



King of clay, Rafael Nadal shows his disappointment losing seven finals this season against his rival Novak Djokovic and said that, ‘It has been tough losing a lot of Finals’.

Nadal, who has won three grand slam titles last year could not able to continue his domination this season winning just French Open title. Nadal this season has been defeated in seven finals, in which six came on Djokovic and one on Murray.

World No.2 Spaniard while speaking with the various sources has stated that, his game has been tailed a little this season by losing seven of 10 finals in 2011 and believes that, Rafa 2010 had something more special than Rafa 2011, especially in tough situations and added that, he will keep working and keep fighting every week and will find a solution to be the best player next year.

25 years old, Nadal also reported that, his rival Roger Federer has played better then him. But, the 16-times grand slam champion had lost few matches that in the past he never would have lost and said that, he has played a bit worse this season.

Nadal has retained his French Open crown this season but finished runner-up to Djokovic this year’s in Wimbledon and US Open.

Nadal finally added that, winning or losing depends on very, very, very small things.

Djokovic, who has been withdrawn from the masters tournament in China. World No.2, Rafael Nadal is considered as a top seeded player in the 2011 Shanghai Masters and will be taking on the fellow country player, Guillermo Garcia-lopez on Wednesday.

http://www.livetennisguide.com/2011/10/ ... good-pace/

Ja wiem, że to artykuł bardziej o Nadalu niż Djokoviciu, ale w temat Rafy wkleiłem inny, a że ten w pewnym stopniu nawiązuję do Novaka to umieściłem go w tym temacie.

[robpal]

W związku z porażką Nadala w Szanghaju, Djoković zagwarantował sobie zakończenie roku jako lider rankingu, gratulacje!

[DUN I LOVE]

Tak właśnie myślałem. Policzyłem punkty i Novak wydawał się poza zasięgiem, ale strona ATP jeszcze tego nie potwierdziła. Wielkie brawa!

[robpal]

Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 For First Time



Novak Djokovic will finish as the No. 1 player in the year-end South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings. He is the 16th different player to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973).

World No.2 Rafael Nadal’s third-round loss at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Thursday assured the Serb of the top ranking come the end of the season.

The 24-year-old Belgrade native is the first Serbian man to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973). It also marks a record eighth straight year a European is the No. 1 player on the ATP World Tour. For seven years from 1985-91, Europeans finished No. 1.

Djokovic is the first player other than Roger Federer (2004-07, ‘09) or Rafael Nadal (2008, ’10) to finish No. 1 since American Andy Roddick in 2003.

Djokovic will be officially crowned as the year-end No. 1 at a special trophy presentation at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London where he will be competing for a fifth straight year. The tournament takes place Nov. 20-27.

On July 4, Djokovic became No. 1 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings for the first time after winning his first Wimbledon title. He began his outstanding season with a 41-match winning streak (43 overall back to last year). He has won a career-high 10 titles in 11 finals, including his second Australian Open and first US Open crowns.

En route to a 64-3 match record, he has captured a record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in a season, in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Montreal. He has also compiled a 20-2 mark vs. Top 10 opponents, defeating rivals Nadal six times and Federer four times so far in 2011.

Between now and the end of the season, the Serb is due to play at the Basel Swiss Indoors, the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, and the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... nking.aspx

[sheva]

Novak Djokovic to marry Jelena Ristic in Kosovo



The World No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic is going to marry her long time girl friend Jelena Ristic at Kosovo soon in October or November, as the wedding ceremony will be held at a traditional church.

The four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who has withdrawn from the China Open and Shanghai Rolex Masters in China, as he suffering from back pain sustained in the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park. Man in form Djokovic has been spending his time with his fiancee Jelena Ristic, where the couple has spotted at shopping and restaurants’.

The pair has been shopping for the shoes for cold season along with Djokovic’s pet dog Pierre at Monte Carlo, where Djokovic and Jelena have rejected paparazzi and onlookers. Jelena said she loves to spend time together with Djokovic in Monaco, where she is studying for a Masters Degree. The reports say the couple is going to marry soon in October, as the marriage will be held at a traditional church in Kosovo. Djokovic said he wants to marry soon in the break time, where he will be having tricky schedule from November.

The 2011 US Open winner Djokovic will play next tournament at 2011 Basel Open event on Swiss Indoor hard courts, later he will move to 2011 ATP World Tour finals in London. The 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer also playing in the Basel Open, which will begin from 31st October in Switzerland

http://www.livetennisguide.com/2011/10/ ... in-kosovo/

[DUN I LOVE]

Nole #1 na koniec sezonu 2011.

To, co było oczywiste od kilku dobrych tygodni, teraz stało się pewne. Serbski tenisista, po wspaniałym sezonie, zakończy rok 2011 na pozycji lidera rankingu ATP Entry. Djoković ma w tym sezonie rewelacyjny bilans pojedynków (64-3), a w międzyczasie wygrał 10 zawodowych turniejów, w tym aż 5 mastersów (rekord) i 2 turnieje wielkoszlemowe (Australian Open po raz drugi; Wimbledon i US Open po raz pierwszy). Nole jest 16 zwycięzcą sezonu od czasu wprowadzenia rankingu ATP (1973) i oczywiście pierwszym Serbem, który dokonał tej sztuki. Wyczyn Djokovicia oznacza, że tenisiści z Europy zwyciężają w rozgrywkach ATP już 8 rok z rzędu, co równoznaczne jest z poprawieniem wyniku z lat 85-91, kiedy to 7 lat z rzędu #1 na koniec sezonu był gracz reprezentujący Stary Kontynent.

Novak Djoković zostanie odpowiednio uhonorowany podczas londyńskich finałów ATP, które rozegrane zostaną w listopadzie.

Najlepsi tenisiści poszczególnych sezonów w ATP Tour (od 1973 roku):
2011 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2010 Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2009 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2008 Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2007 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2006 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2005 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2004 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2003 Andy Roddick (U.S.)
2002 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2001 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2000 Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil)
1999 Andre Agassi (U.S.)
1998 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1997 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1996 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1995 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1994 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1993 Pete Sampras (U.S.)
1992 Jim Courier (U.S.)
1991 Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1990 Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
1989 Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1988 Mats Wilander (Sweden)
1987 Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1986 Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1985 Ivan Lendl (Czech Republic)
1984 John McEnroe (U.S.)
1983 John McEnroe (U.S.)
1982 John McEnroe (U.S.)
1981 John McEnroe (U.S.)
1980 Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1979 Bjorn Borg (Sweden)
1978 Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1977 Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1976 Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1975 Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1974 Jimmy Connors (U.S.)
1973 Ilie Nastase (Romania)

[sheva]

Djokovicia do końca roku nikt nie ruszy



Stowarzyszenie Profesjonalnych Tenisistów (ATP) poinformowało, że Novak Djokovic zapewnił sobie pierwsze w rankingu światowym na koniec roku. W czwartek w drugiej rundzie turnieju w Szanghaju odpadł Hiszpan Rafael Nadal i stracił szanse na wyprzedzenie Serba.

24-letni Djokovic jest 16. tenisistą w sięgającej 1973 roku historii, który zakończy sezon na pierwszej pozycji. Liderem klasyfikacji ATP World Tour został w lipcu po wygraniu wielkoszlemowego Wimbledonu.

W ostatnich siedmiu latach sezon na pozycji lidera kończyli tylko Szwajcar Roger Federer (pięciokrotnie) i Hiszpan Rafael Nadal (dwa razy)

Djokovic w tym roku zwyciężył w 10 turniejach, w tym w trzech wielkoszlemowych: oprócz Wimbledonu, również w Australian Open i US Open. Z 67 spotkań w bieżącym sezonie wygrał 64. Od kilku tygodni pauzuje z powodu kontuzji pleców.

Liderzy rankingu światowego tenisistów na koniec sezonu w ostatnich 10 latach:
2002 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
2003 Andy Roddick (USA)
2004 Roger Federer (Szwajcaria)
2005 Roger Federer (Szwajcaria)
2006 Roger Federer (Szwajcaria)
2007 Roger Federer (Szwajcaria)
2008 Rafael Nadal (Hiszpania)
2009 Roger Federer (Szwajcaria)
2010 Rafael Nadal (Hiszpania)
2011 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

http://www.eurosport.pl/tenis/djokovici ... tory.shtml

[Ranger]

RICOH ATP MatchFacts: Charting Novak's Rise



Novak Djokovic is having one of the most storied seasons in tennis history. Though the Serbian has stated his change in fortune is due to an increase in confidence, the RICOH ATP MatchFacts provide statistical evidence that Djokovic has improved in all facets of his game this season. With three major titles, five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns and a 64-3 record, the 24 year old has been nothing short of dominant in 2011.

An area of the Serbian’s game that has greatly contributed to his ascendance to the top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings is his return. Among players on the ATP World Tour this year, Djokovic ranks in the two top in all four categories. Most notably, the World No. 1 has won 41 percent of his return games, five percent greater than the next highest success rate, shared by Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

“Novak absorbs pace very well on the return and he has excellent racquet control when taken out wide, which allows him to hit offensively when stretched,” explains Justin Gimelstob, ATP Board Member and tennis commentator. “He takes the return very early and thus gets it back on his opponent very quickly. His technique is flawless and thus repeatable under pressure.”

Djokovic is second to Murray in first serve return points won at 37 percent, leads all players by taking 58 percent of his second serve return points, and is second best in break point conversion percentage, at 48.

In addition to strong improvement on returns, Djokovic has beefed up his service stats, with his second serve showing the biggest gains. “No doubt, Novak's improved serve is a huge part of his improvement this year. Last year his serve was a weakness, as he wasn't getting a lot of free points and he was prone to double faults,” assesses Gimelstob.

Last year, the Serb won 52 percent of his second serve points, placing him in a tie for 21st, well behind chief rivals Nadal (ranked first with 60 percent) and Roger Federer (tied for third with 56 percent). In 2011, Djokovic has increased his percentage to 56, catapulting him to joint third with big servers Andy Roddick and John Isner and just behind leaders Nadal and Federer at 57 percent. “This year, because Novak has improved his serve technically, eliminating the hitch that developed at the top of the swing, it is holding up under pressure and so that weakness has turned into a weapon,” Gimelstob states. “That type of shift on the most important shot in tennis is huge and changes the outlook of a match, especially when the rest of Novak's game is so incredible.”

In 2010, the Belgrade native won 71 percent of his first service points to rank 37th, and has improved to 23rd this year by winning 74 percent of those points.

It is clear Djokovic has been far more impactful on serve this year compared to his previous season, winning 87 percent of his service games, five percent better than his 2010 mark. “There is no doubt by holding serve more, winning more free points, and double faulting less, it puts more pressure on his opponents,” says Gimelstob. “Novak has no other weakness and as a result, the consistent, cumulative pressure he puts on his opponents is overwhelming. He is the best mover in the sport right now and his backhand and return of serve are the best in the game currently as well.”

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ments.aspx

[Ranger]

Djokovic Voted Among World's Most Influential Men



ATP World Tour No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been voted the third most influential athlete in the world by readers of AskMen.com, which attracts 17 million monthly readers.

In the sixth annual Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2011 list Djokovic ranked No. 19, with the only athletes to poll higher being FB Barcelona star Lionel Messi (No. 10) and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (No. 11). This year’s Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion Djokovic finished higher than Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and Rory McIlroy.

The magazine says of Djokovic: "Just when it looked liked Rafael Nadal was set to begin his long reign atop the men’s ATP rankings, the notoriously hotheaded Djokovic quieted all the outside noise, put all his tools together and reminded us why, right now, men’s tennis is the most exciting sport on the planet, after defeating Nadal at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and the 2011 US Open." (Read full Djokovic tribute)

AskMen this week announced the results of their annual reader survey with recently deceased Apple founder Steve Jobs claiming the No. 1 position after more than 200,000 votes were cast over the course of September. The Top 49 poll challenges the magazine’s readers to determine which men have made the biggest impact this year and shaped what it means to be a man of influence.

Reflecting on the 2011 poll, James Bassil, Editor in Chief, AskMen commented: "This year’s list is a true reflection of the times we live in, with technology being at the forefront, and visionaries like Steve Jobs inspiring our readers all over the world. Jobs held steady in the number one position for the last four weeks during our polling, which really pays tribute to his legacy."

The complete roster of this year’s Top 49 Most Influential Men, including profiles of each honoree, can be found at www.AskMen.com. In order, the top 19 are:

1 Steve Jobs
2 SEAL Team Six
3 Larry Page
4 Warren Buffett
5 Kanye West
6 Mohamed Bouazizi
7 Prince William
8 Anonymous (Wiki leaks group)
9 Ryan Gosling
10 Lionel Messi
11 Cadel Evans
12 Jon Stewart
13 Andrew Mason
14 George Clooney
15 Jay-Z
16 Charlie Sheen
17 Alexander Skarsgard
18 Pep Guardiola
19 Novak Djokovic

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -Poll.aspx

[Sempere]

"AskMen": Djokovic 19. wśród najbardziej wpływowych mężczyzn



Serb Novak Djokovic, aktualny lider rankingu ATP World Tour, znalazł się na 19. miejscu na liście najbardziej wpływowych mężczyzn na świecie w 2011 roku według magazynu "AskMen". Ze sportowców wyżej od tenisisty są piłkarz Lionel Messi i kolarz Cadel Evans.

To dość nieoczekiwany sukces 24-letniego Serba, który odnotowuje najlepszy sezon w karierze. Od stycznia triumfował w dziesięciu turniejach, w tym w trzech z czterech imprez zaliczanych do Wielkiego Szlema - Australian Open, Wimbledonie i US Open. Dotychczas wygrał 64 mecze, ponosząc tylko trzy porażki. Jest liderem rankingu nieprzerwanie od 4 lipca.

Jeszcze do ubiegłego roku był nazywany "numerem trzy", bo poza kilkunastoma tygodniami spędzonymi na pozycji wicelidera, najczęściej zajmował właśnie trzecie miejsce na świecie. Wyprzedzali go Hiszpan Rafael Nadal i Szwajcar Roger Federer, który w czerwcu w półfinale Roland Garros przerwał serię 44 wygranych pojedynków przez Djokovica od grudnia.

W szóstej edycji plebiscytu magazynu "AskMen" znalazł się wyżej m.in. od prezydenta Stanów Zjednoczonych Baracka Obamy - jest 21. Jeśli chodzi o sportowców to musiał uznać tylko wyższość najlepszego piłkarza świata - Argentyńczyka Lionela Messiego z FC Barcelona sklasyfikowanego na dziesiątej pozycji oraz Australijczyka Cadela Evansa, zwycięzcy Tour de France - 11. Natomiast tuż przed Serbem, na 18. miejscu, znalazł się trener klubu z Katalonii Josep Guardiola.

Numerem jeden na liście jest twórca potęgi firmy Apple - Steve Jobs, który zmarł 5 października po długiej walce z chorobą nowotworową.

http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/2011/ ... -mezczyzn/

[sheva]

Novak Djokovic’s best season ranked greatest in 2011 sport




The man-in-form Novak Djokovic has showed remarkable performance in this season with ten ATP Tour titles including three Grand Slams at Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

The Four-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has been enjoying his dream season with ten ATP titles and received over $10 million in prize money. Djokovic also made an amazing 43-match winning streak, before losing to 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the 2011 French Open semi finals in four sets. Djokovic, who has lost just one match in the season and withdrawn two matches at Cincinnati Masters final and Serbia’s Davis Cup semi final match against Argentina last month.

The World No. 1 Novak Djokovic had 68-3 win loss record in this season, where he hopes to win a career slams in the next season. Serbian has 6-0 win loss record against 10-time major title holder Rafael Nadal and 4-1 record against World No. 4th ranked Roger Federer this year. Nole has achieved to find place in the top 49 Most Influential Men of 2011, where he got 19th position by Ask Men’s website.

The 24-year-old Djokovic will play his next tournament at Basel Open on Swiss Indoor courts, on 31st October. Djokovic said he has been working hard on his fitness to recover soon from back pain injury and he has begun preparations for the upcoming tournament in

http://www.livetennisguide.com/2011/10/ ... 011-sport/

[Joao]

Nole to lead an all star line-up at Mubadala World Tennis Championship



World no.1 Nole will make his first appearance at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, one of the region's most eagerly anticipated sporting events, bringing six of the world's top ten players to the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City on December 29-31.

The tournament is a not part of the ATP Tour, and is based on a knock-out format over three days.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils will contend for the title.

The top two players receive a BYE to the semi-finals and will play the winners of the first round matches. Semi-final matches will take place on Day 2 (Friday, December 30, 2011) with the final and consolation (3rd and 4th place) matches taking place on Day 3 (Saturday December 31, 2011). First match begins daily at 3:00 pm local time (1:00 pm CET).

Andy Murray won the first edition in 2009, beating Rafael Nadal in three sets. The Spanish world no.2 won the previous two editions beating Robin Soderling in 2010 and Roger Federer at the start of this year.

Nole will be looking to continue the form that saw him put together one of the greatest individual seasons in professional tennis history.

The Serbian superstar took the tennis world by storm in 2011 capturing three of the four Grand Slam titles (Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open), 10 ATP World Tour trophies including a single-season record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, posting a 64-3 record and claiming the world no. 1 ranking.

http://www.novakdjokovic.rs/news.php?ak ... 59&jezik=2

[Ranger]

Djokovic gets seal of approval from fellow Serb Ivanovic



Serbian former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic has nothing but admiration for compatriot Novak Djokovic as the current top man in the game makes his return to tennis after six weeks away with a place at the Swiss Indoors.

The Basel event in the hometown of Roger Federer is also drawing the interest of Ivanovic who lives in the city. "I wish I could do the same thing and learn," said the 2008 French Open winner whose game dropped off after her own triumph to leave her with a 26th ranking. "It's crazy, he is a hero in Serbia.

"What he has achieved the dream of every athlete. I'm so happy for him, because we are very close friends. I've seen him with the title win in Australia and I know how happy he is," Ivanovic told Switzerland's Sonntag Blick tabloid.

Amid the platitudes, Ivanovic also admitted that the winner of ten titles this season is keeping much of the secret to his success to himself and his team. But he did drop a hint to his fellow player: "He says it was a matter of being happy and enjoying what you do. Then he just starts making jokes."

Ivanovic, who is working to restore of parts of her own game that have gone to seed, ticked off the Djokovic attributes: "He has the best total package on the court - one of the best returns, a great backhand, his agility and his attitude."

Źródło: http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20111 ... b_Ivanovic

[Ranger]

Djokovic Doesn't Feel Unbeatable



Despite holding a 64-3 match record in 2011, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic insists he does not feel unbeatable. The Serb, who is playing his first tournament since the US Open this week at the Swiss Indoors Basel, opened the season with a 41-0 mark before falling to Roger Federer in the Roland Garros semi-finals. His 10 titles this year include victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

"Not losing a match up till the French Open was an incredible effort," said Djokovic. "I’m very proud of those achievements. But I know how hard I worked over the years and I always believed I could do it, that I could be the best; that I had the quality to win against the best players in the world and win the major trophies.

"I don’t feel unbeatable and I don’t think anybody is," the Belgrade native continued. "It’s just a matter of the right momentum, the confidence that you have, that you’re building up by winning this many matches. I could rely on that confidence in most of the matches I was playing because when you are confident, sometimes you see the ball as a watermelon. You feel so good on the court, you trust every shot."

Djokovic is returning to action this week in Basel following a six-week back injury lay off. He faces stiff competition from the likes of four-time Basel champion Federer and World No. 3 Andy Murray as he bids to return to peak form and fitness for the final three tournaments of the season, culminating in his appearance at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

"Injuries are never welcome, but it came in the right moment because it gave me a little bit more time to rest and recover," said Djokovic. "Every single day for the past five weeks I’ve been doing therapies and keeping up with the recovery programme. I tore my muscle quite bad and it took me up to now to recover and get fit. I know it’s going to take time and I don’t expect myself to be 100 per cent at this tournament, but I will try to build up my confidence.

"I’ve been practising really intensively these past couple of days on the court. I came with the team on Wednesday and we’ve been practising since. I haven’t played indoors since last December, if I don’t count the match against [Juan Martin] del Potro this year (in the Davis Cup semi-finals, when he was forced to retire injured), so I needed to get some indoor practice. It’s improving each day. For me, the most important thing is to be playing again."

The 24-year-old Djokovic is making his third successive appearance at the ATP World Tour 500 indoor hard-court tennis tournament in Basel. He played Federer in the final on both his previous appearances, triumphing in 2009 before Federer avenged that defeat in last year’s title match. The two could meet again in the final this year, and it would be a clash that Djokovic would relish after their highly charged encounters already in 2011. In their last meeting, Djokovic saved two match points as he came from two sets down to beat Federer in the US Open semi-finals.

"We played incredible matches at the French Open and US Open; those matches were decided by small margins and by a few points," said Djokovic. "He could have easily won the US Open match, and I maybe could have won the French Open match. I have to come up with the best possible tennis against Roger and Rafa [Nadal]; that’s what they make you do, that’s the only way I can win."

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/~/media/6E2 ... FCD0B.ashx

[ginny]

http://www.blick.ch/sport/tennis/blick- ... urs-185727


Novak uczy się dialektu szwajcarskiego

[Ranger]

No. 1 Djokovic knows he's still in the shadows of Federer, Nadal



Novak Djokovic may be world No. 1 and the winner of ten titles this season. But the Serb still knows that in the minds of many fans, he's still in playing in the shadows of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Federer will attract much of the spotlight at this week's Swiss Indoors, his home event and a tournament he's won over four of the last five editions. But Djokovic was the man who knocked him off two years ago to take the trophy.

The Serb will hope to quietly go about his business on court as he plays for the first time in six weeks after a back injury which forced him from Davis Cup. And he's not worried about not winning any perceived tennis popularity contest.

"It's understandable," he told Swiss media about being compared to the tennis kings from Switzerland and Spain. "They have had so many successes - probably the most successful athletes in the world, not just tennis.

"I was number three or four and now everything is coming together for me."

Djokovic said the biggest challenge he now faces is maintaining mental toughness. "I've doubted myself,it's above all a mental challenge, a lot of head work."

The top seed said that while he's unsure of his fitness, the time to test it out is now. "I don't know exactly how fit I really am. But I missed tennis and I didn't want to wait forever."

Źródło: http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20111 ... r%2C_Nadal

[jaccol55]

Djokovic Survives Fright Night


Novak Djokovic dons a mask to commemorate
Halloween prior to his first-round match in Basel.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic gave fans a fright Tuesday evening at the Swiss Indoors Basel, first donning a Halloween mask on his entrance to the court before surviving a scare against Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Djokovic won the first set with two breaks of serve, but came under pressure in the second. He double-faulted to relinquish a break in the ninth game and Malisse seized his opportunity to draw level.

The top-seeded Serbian quickly regrouped, rolling out to a 3-0 lead to start the third set. He held the match on his racquet at 5-4, but hit a double fault on the fifth break point of the game. Malisse was eventually undone by his own share of errors, committing four straight in a must-win service game to concede the victory to Djokovic after two hours and 12 minutes.

Djokovic, making his first tournament appearance since winning his US Open triumph, is chasing the 11th title of his outstanding 2011 campaign this week in Basel. He has reached the final the past two years at this ATP World Tour 500 indoor tournament, defeating Roger Federer in the 2009 final before finishing runner-up to the Basel-native last year.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ction.aspx

[Ranger]

Djokovic avoids a fright in comeback to tennis



Fun-loving Novak Djokovic continued his Halloween tradition by walking onto court at the Swiss Indoors with a scary mask looking something like Batman's evil enemy the Joker.

But the Serb managed to avoid a fright of his own on court as he proved his stamina in a first match back for six weeks after injury.

The world No. 1 has been out of action since Davis Cup in September with a back problem. He said that he's only been able to train for a week or so and had to sit out an entire month with what he called his worst-ever physical problem.

"I'm only just back from the biggest injury of my career," said the winner of ten titles in 2011, who started with a win in Basel over Xavier Malisse. "It was a big ask for me to have played really well. I could do nothing for four-and-a-half weeks, I've only been hitting for a week-and-a-half.

"That's not enough to play at my best. I've lost rhythm. But I'm happy just to be playing tennis again. I hope to build on this performance."

Djokovic said that while the last thing he would have wished for was being out of the game, his back injury could almost qualify as a blessing in disguise.

"Injury is never welcome, but it came in the right moment. It gave me a little more time to rest and recover. I think it was the longest break I've had in the last four or five years.”

Źródło: http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20111 ... _to_tennis