Highlights Ferrer, Vesely Advance In Hamburg 2017
Highlights Ferrer, Vesely Advance In Hamburg 2017
Jul262017
Novak Djokovic’s enforced break through injury will help the 12-time Grand Slam winner recover his best form, says former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash.
Former world number one Djokovic, 30, will not play again in 2017 because of an elbow injury.
Cash said he could now “mentally refresh, get his enthusiasm back, and start back again strongly”.
“We all know how tough and athletic he is, we want to see that again,” the 52-year-old told BBC Radio 5 live.
“It might seem a bit obvious for a tennis player to get tennis elbow and there is literally no cure for it, it just takes time, usually about a year or so, to fix it.
“But it is probably just what the doctor ordered, to take time off. After so many unbelievable years, 2017 has been poor for him.”
Djokovic retired injured during his most recent match, a Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych on 12 July.
Earlier in the month, he won the Aegon International at Eastbourne – his 68th career title, but his first since January.
He suffered a shock defeat by world number 117 Denis Istomin at January’s Australian Open, where he was defending champion, and then lost his French Open crown when he was beaten by Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals in June.
“It will take time for him to get his intensity back,” said Australian Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon men’s singles champion.
“It won’t be like Roger Federer, who was winning Grand Slams straight out of the blocks after he came back [after several months out with a knee injury in 2016], but some time next year he will be playing well again.
“Djokovic’s style is very similar to almost everyone else on the circuit, but he was just that bit fitter, that bit more flexible, that bit more mentally tough.
“He has probably lost two of those three major qualities, but he will be very sensible and make sure he is ready when he does come back. I do think he will be competitive again.”
Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will not play again in 2017 because of an elbow injury.
Former world number one Djokovic, 30, retired injured during his Wimbledon quarter-final match against Tomas Berdych on 12 July.
He claimed to have been suffering from an elbow problem for 18 months.
“Professionally this is not an easy decision for me, but I’m trying to look at the positive side,” said the Serb, who is the world number four.
In July, Djokovic won the Aegon International in Eastbourne – his 68th career title, but his first since January.
He suffered a shock defeat by world number 117 Denis Istomin at January’s Australian Open, where he was defending champion, and then lost his French Open crown when he was beaten by Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals in June.
Djokovic said he would spend the time building up his fitness and strength, as well as working on areas of his game he felt needed to be improved.
“I want to play professional tennis for many years to come,” he added in a message on his Facebook page.
It means Djokovic will miss the US Open, which starts on 28 August, and where he was champion in 2011 and 2015.
His absence from Flushing Meadows ends a run of 51 consecutive appearances at Grand Slams.
“All the doctors I’ve consulted, and all the specialists I have visited, in Serbia and all over the world, have agreed that this injury requires rest,” Djokovic said.
“A prolonged break from the sport is inevitable. I’ll do whatever it takes to recover.
“My elbow is hurt due to excessive playing, and it troubles me constantly when serving, and now when playing forehand as well.
“My body has its limits, and I have to respect that and be grateful for all I have achieved so far.
“At the beginning of my career I was facing health issues, but over the years, and with a lot of patience and dedication, I found a solution.
“That’s the approach I take to this situation, and I firmly believe I will come back stronger.”
Coach Andre Agassi has committed to stay with Djokovic for the 2018 season.
BBC Radio 5 live tennis commentator David Law
It has been clear for a while that something had to give.
You get the sense that, after 51 straight Grand Slam tournaments over a 12-and-a-half-year period, his body has simply said ‘enough is enough’.
Even his famous resilience and defiance has been lacking of late, suggesting burnout after his extraordinary achievement of holding all four Grand Slam singles title at the same time last year.
A break from the rigours and relentlessness of the game should help in that regard, too.
The good news is that he doesn’t need surgery, and he has made his intentions clear by signing up Andre Agassi for 2018, and declaring that he hopes to play for another five years or more.
Exactly a year ago to the day, Roger Federer called time on his 2016 season because of a knee problem. If Djokovic’s return goes half as well as Federer’s – the Swiss has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year – it will certainly have been the right decision.
Rankings-wise, Djokovic will plummet. Federer showed that it doesn’t take long to rebuild with the right results early on in a comeback, and Djokovic is nearly six years Federer’s junior.
There are also question marks surrounding Andy Murray’s health after hip problems over the grass court season, but the suggestion is the world number one may still play the US Open. With Djokovic not there his chances, and those of everyone else, have taken a boost.
Are the recent health issues of Federer, Djokovic, Murray and Nadal a sign of wider issues within the sport – the length of the season, the length of matches?
Perhaps, but the fact is all four are at the top in their 30s, with careers of well over a decade behind them. Many players of the past would have retired by now.
Goffin opens campaign later today
Swiss Henri Laaksonen won the match of the day at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad on Wednesday in a three-hour comeback victory over two-time former champion Thomaz Bellucci.
Laaksonen first held a match point opportunity at 5-4 in the second set, when Bellucci served at 30/40. Bellucci recovered and went on to take a 5-2 lead in the decider, but the Brazilian won just four points in the next five games as World No. 95 Laaksonen wrapped up a memorable 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 7-5 win. Bellucci captured the Gstaad title in 2009 as a qualifier (d. Becker) and in 2012 (d. Tipsarevic).
Earlier in the day, Roberto Bautista Agut lost just nine of his service points in a 6-4, 6-3 second-round victory over French qualifier Gleb Sakharov in 84 minutes. The second-seeded Spaniard will next face Denis Istomin, who hit 11 aces and lost only four of his service points in a 40-minute 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Sixth seed and 2013, 2016 runner-up Robin Haase did not face a break point in a 7-5, 7-5 win over Thiago Monteiro in just over 90 minutes. He now awaits the winner of top seed David Goffin, the 2015 finalist, or Radu Albot in the last eight. Albot defeated 2013 champion and former World No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny on Tuesday.
Paolo Lorenzi endured a tense wait for a place in the second round. The fifth seed, who reached last week’s Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag final (l. to Rublev) beat Marco Chiudinelli 7-6(2), 6-2. Lorenzi failed to convert three set points opportunities at 5-2, two at 5-4, but finally sealed his sixth set point chance in the tie-break. The Italian will next challenge Ernests Gulbis, who knocked out qualifier Daniel Brands 6-4, 6-4 in 82 minutes.
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World number four Novak Djovokic will not play tennis again in 2017 and says “professionally this is not an easy decision for me”.
Malek Jaziri will not forget his opening-round fight-back at the BB&T Atlanta Open in a hurry. The Tunisian saved an astonishing eight match points to deny last year’s semi-finalist, home favourite Reilly Opelka, on Tuesday.
Jaziri had defeated the #NextGenATP player in their only prior meeting in Washington last season but it took three tie-breaks. On Tuesday, the 33 year old would again eke out a tie-break against the 6’11” American and what a turning point it proved.
Jaziri hung in to fend off four match points on serve at 5-6 in the second set and a further four match points at 6/7, 7/8, 8/9 and 13/14 in the tie-break. He would concede just one game in the final set as he ran away with a 5-7, 7-6(14), 6-1 result.
Jaziri withstood 26 aces from the 19 year old and was constantly under the pump on his own serve as he fought off 12 of 14 break points. It sets a second-round meeting with 20-year-old American Tommy Paul.
In an all-American #NextGenATP showdown, 21 year old wild card Christopher Eubanks landed his maiden ATP World Tour match win when he surprised Taylor Fritz 7-6(5), 6-4. Eubanks’ 11 aces and conversion on his sole break-point opportunity paved his way to a second-round meeting with eighth seed Jared Donaldson.
“Being able to play in the tournament in my hometown is already difficult to put into words, but to be able to come out and win in front of the crowd it’s beyond comprehension,” Eubanks said. “I like to impose my will no matter who I’m playing so that was the game plan going in. I think I did a really good job of that.”
Eubanks said players always said that they expected to win no matter who they stepped on to the court against. He chose to take a different approach, however.
“I try to expect to play as well as I can play and be able to live with that result, so if I play well and it still goes the other way I have nothing to hang my head about it,” he said. “It also shows me what I need to improve if I play well and I don’t win.”
Australian John Millman was contesting just his third main draw match of the season on Tuesday, having missed the first four months of the year with a torn tendon in his groin. The 28 year old posted his most promising result since his return with a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5) opening-round victory over #NextGenATP American player, Frances Tiafoe.
Tiafoe broke to serve for the match at 6-5 in the deciding set but could not close it out. Millman’s win books a second-round clash with No. 4 seed Ryan Harrison.
Fifth-seeded Brit Kyle Edmund got his BB&T Atlanta Open debut off to a solid start with a 6-3, 7-5 win over 2015 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis. In an all-American encounter, sixth seed Donald Young joined Edmund in the second round after a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over qualifier Tim Smyczek. He saved all five break points faced and will next meet Slovak Lukas Lacko.
Vasek Pospisil booked a second-round meeting with second seed and last week’s Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open champion John Isner. The Canadian ground out a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory against American Bjorn Fratangelo.
Two-time finalist Haase opens his account today
Moldovan Radu Albot grit his teeth on Tuesday to knock out 2013 champion Mikhail Youzhny at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad. Albot came within two points of losing at 6/6 in the second set tie-break against the former World No. 8, but held his nerve to win 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 in two hours and 52 minutes for a second-round clash against top seed and 2015 finalist David Goffin.
Elsewhere, eighth-seeded Portuguese Joao Sousa lost just one of his first service points (23/24) to defeat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-3 and will next challenge 2009 and 2012 titlist Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil or Swiss Henri Laaksonen.
Two days on from reaching his eighth ATP World Tour final (3-8 record) at the SkiStar Swedish Open, Alexandr Dolgopolov ran out of gas. Brazilian Thiago Monteiro struck 14 aces and saved seven of nine break points in a 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 win over two hours and 52 minutes.
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