Article

  • Djokovic needs to cure pullout problem

    4/27/08 6:32 PM | Johan Lindahl
    - The fitness of Novak Djokovic is becoming an issue after the fragile Serb quit the sixth match of his short career at the weekend to hand over a place in the Monte Carlo Masters final to Roger Federer.

    While Federer was battling Rafael Nadal for the prestige clay title, devastated Djokovic was licking his wounds after pulling out trailing 6-3, 3-2 in the second set against Federer.

    He complained of a sore throat, a problem which many on the ATP would have fought through. “I decided not to risk anything. I was thinking about stopping after the first set but I wanted to try and see how it goes.

    ”But it's not worth it. I'm just 20 years old. There's still a lot of time to come and a lot of tournaments.“

    With another potential six weeks of play on clay through the end of the French Open, the number three will need to consider how to cure a the pullout problem, which dates to Roland Garros in 2005, when he failed to finish against Guillermo Coria in the second round.

    Already this season, the 20-year-old has retired in a February Davis Cup match against Nikolay Davydenko, complaining of nausea and even getting a check-up in hospital.

    He also failed to go the distance last season in a Wimbledon semi-final against raging bull Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The excuse on that huge occasion: a bad back and blisters.

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Comments

I thing Djoko is a bad looser.Someone with so re throat and dizziness just stay in bed and take aspirins ........

zmichael , 4/29/08 4:43 PM


NOVAK IS A TOTAL LOSER and he doesn't deserve to be up there with Federer and Nadal. IT"S TRUE, he's only 20 and he's already acting like he's DONE a lot for tennis already. ONE grand slam is not enough to make him level himself with the GREATS in tennis. It's his OBLIGATION not to PLAY WITH PEOPLES' MONEY...he's living from IT!

agf25agf , 4/29/08 11:15 PM


Author Ashe is rolling over in his grave with these youngsters taken the fans for granted. the men that worked so hard to build the tour with their guts and hard work deserve more respect than what Jokestervich has shown. Federer's respect for the greats of the pass would never give the fans such disrespect and leave them high and dry. It is sad that the young players of today don't realize how much blood and guts the buys like Rod Laver, Author Ashe and all those legends have done to build the ATP today.

bconca , 4/30/08 2:52 AM



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