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12/13/08 3:15 AM | Jonathan Morgan
In 2005 and 2006, Novak Djokovic improved his ranking from near 200 to inside the top 20, turning heads and forcing people to take notice
Novak Djokovic kicked off 2005 by qualifying for his first slam, the Australian Open. It was here that he was absolutely destroyed by Marat Safin, who would go on to win the event that year. Safin remarked favorably of Djokovic at that time, while Novak’s career was just beginning to take off.
He came back to Europe in February and went to town with a few indoor challengers. Quarterfinals in Belgrade and semis in Cherbourg bumped up his ranking to 160. Novak then played his first Davis Cup tie, helping the Serbs defeat Zimbabwe. In the clay season, he qualified for Valencia but lost in the opening round. He also scored a pair of wins at the Monza challenger before heading off for Davis Cup duties again.
Djokovic lost to Olivier Rochus in 5 sets and Kristof Vliegen in 4 sets as the Belgians beat the Serbians 3-2. Djokovic lost the 5th rubber to Vliegen. He bounced back from the loss quite well, winning the challenger in San Remo before easily qualifying for Roland Garros. Novak faced Robby Ginepri in the opening round and crushed the American, 6-0, 6-0, 6-3! He would take the first set in his 2nd round contest against Guillermo Coria before having to retire in the third set.
Djokovic took his game to the grass as the newly-turned 18 year old’s game was looking good. After failing to qualify for Queen’s, Djokovic qualified for Wimbledon. He recorded a pair of wins over clay courters Juan Monaco and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (the latter in 5 sets, coming from 2-0 set down) before falling to Grosjean in 4 sets in the third. Djokovic’s ranking cracked the top 100, landing at 92 after Wimbledon.
Djokovic’s early summer was ho-hum, but he did qualify for Cincinnati, losing to Gonzalez in the opening round in 3 tough sets. The US Open was next, and people were beginning to take notice of this youngster, placing him with Murray and Monfils as the possible next generation of stars. It just so happened that Djokovic and Monfils wound up playing each other in the first round of the US Open.
As this match wore on, Monfils, clearly the fitter of the two, was constantly having to wait for Djokovic and his medical timeouts. Djokovic on more than one occasion called for the trainer either for a massage somewhere or just to take a breather, something Monfils was a bit vocal about. Djokovic wound up taking the match 7-5 in the 5th, but his reputation with the trainer was born.
Djokovic beat Ancic in the next round before falling to Verdasco in 5 sets in the 3rd. Djokovic’s game was improving drastically at this point. His indoor season was average, although he did qualify for Paris and make the third round. Djokovic ended the season ranked 78th in the world, up more than 100 spots from the start of the year.
Novak Djokovic opened 2006 by playing the Hopman Cup with Ana Ivanovic, a fellow Serbian player that would blow up in 2006, much like Novak. Djokovic’s Australian Open was a bust, losing in the opening round to Paul Goldstein. He came back to Europe for the indoor season, reaching the semifinals in Zagreb and leading the Serbians to a Davis Cup win over Israel. He also qualified for Rotterdam and made the quarterfinals, pushing Stepanek to 3 tight sets before falling. Djokovic’s ranking was up to 63, but in that match against Stepanek, he appeared to pick up an injury somewhere in the hip area, but it seems to not be anything serious.
Indian Wells and Miami were busts, as Novak went 1-2 for the month. Djokovic then led the Serbian team to a victory over Great Britian in the Davis Cup, clinching the tie with a 4 set win over Rusedski. Into the clay season he went, as he qualified for Monte Carlo and faced off with Roger Federer in the opening round.
Novak was feisty, and even took a set from Roger, but Federer marched on in 3 sets. The rest of his clay season was a bit disappointing, at least until Roland Garros. He qualified for and won a round in Hamburg, beating Coria, a former great at this point, in the first round. Djokovic came into Roland Garros 63 in the world and had his best tournament yet.
After Horna retired in the first round, Djokovic came out and beat Fernando Gonzalez in 5 sets in the 2nd round, Tommy Haas and Gael Monfils in the next 2 rounds, both in straights before facing Nadal in the quarterfinals.
Nadal took the first set 6-4. Djokovic was more competitive in the second set, but wound up losing that 6-4 as well. After a few points in the beginning of the 3rd set, Djokovic had to retire. His back looked a bit off from the start of the match and so he decided to retire at the start of the third. After the match is where it got interesting. Djokovic remarked then that he believed he was “in control” of the match. However he meant for that comment to come out, it was taken that he believed he was the one in control of a match he was 2 sets down in against the defending Roland Garros champion, riding a 58 match winning streak on clay. Something was amiss.
That back injury caused him to miss the event in Halle the next week, but he returned for Wimbledon. In the opening round, he scored a revenge win over Paul Goldstien, who had roughed him up at the Aussie Open a few months prior. He beat Robredo and Youzhny before losing to Ancic in 5 sets in the 4th round. Djokovic turned around and reached the finals of Amersfoort that summer. He made the finals without dropping a set and fought off Nicolas Massu in the final to take his first title. His ranking jumped up to 28 and the just turned 19 year old Djokovic was making a name for himself.
The following week, he made the finals in Umag, but had to retire in the first set tiebreak in the finals against Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic was suffering from a combination of breathing problems (inherent, he took care of it that off season), a shoulder injury, and and exhaustion. After winning a point in the tiebreak, he collapsed and was carried by the chair ump and some ball boys to his chair. He then retired, not even being able to stand up at first.
Djokovic was back in action two weeks later in Cincinnati, losing 2nd round. He reached the US Open 3rd round this year, beating but losing a set to highly-touted Donald Young in the first round, and Fish in the second round. He faced Lleyton Hewitt in the third round, and the Aussie absolutely pounded him.
Davis Cup time was next, as the Serbs played the Swiss in a battle to get back into the World Group for 2007. Djokovic beat Wawrinka in 5 sets but was routined by Federer in the 4th rubber. Djokovic at that point in time was climbing up the ranks, but was not quite ready for the top guys.
Djokovic came back in early October to win his 2nd career title at the tournament in Metz. He came through in 3 sets in the semis and final, dropping the opening set in both victories. In Madrid, he beat out contemporaries Gasquet and Murray in the opening two rounds before losing a crazy one to Gonzalez. Djokovic ended 2006 ranked #17 in the world, but was known more for his retirements and his comments than his game, at least at this point in his career.
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Keep going!
noleisthebest , 12/13/08 9:12 PM
Yea, waiting for the third part ;)
danica , 12/14/08 1:28 AM
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great article!
janhavi , 12/13/08 7:17 AM