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Roger was polite and fluent in English. I wonder what words they cut off in this video perhaps even the best players have a moment of their insecurity...He is not any more or less polite then Djokovic...they are both good players but considering that Djokovic just turned 20 and showing the world so much of the gift ...When Federer was 19-20 he never showed the light that we have see in the New talent Mr. Djokovic. May God bless you all!
Nadal, Federer and Djokovic are all good players and unique and Novak did well...winning the worlds champion. Novak you are sweet talented passionate with high morals and from good family, may God bless you and your entire family and friends.You can see talent such as Djokovic once in your life time because when Federer was 19-20 I could only see his persistence and hard work but not the extra flow that talented Novak has ...if the kid does not do anything more he did plenty because no one his age group with limited time of practice and conditions could compete. Novak when he was in his the most developing age could not practice at the time of Bombing ...He was only kid exposed to bombs who now sends back love to the world...
God bless Serbia and Serbs all ower the world. __CCCC__May God bless you all.
Djokovic-Nadal
6:3, 6:4
Novak:
"Certainly I have to say that this is the biggest, and probably the most important victory in my career, and he's the best player I ever won against. Coming from Indian Wells finals, I learned a lot of things... Today I was really motivated. I didn't have anything to lose. I'm making some unbelievable results in the last couple of months. I'm in great shape, feeling really confident on the court."
Novak Djokovic - Rafael Nadal Miami 2007 Quarterfinal
OPET JE DANAS POBEDIO TALENAT NAD TALENTIMA
Blessed with the talent,Serbian 20 years old tennis player wins again!!!
three young Serbians — yes, Serbians — will enter the annual New York party at the National Tennis Center like the proverbial elephants in the room.
While you're scrambling to your nearest atlas to locate tiny Serbia on the map (in the middle of former Yugoslavia in southeastern Europe), consider that a country of 10 million with a long and circuitous history (very little of it in tennis) now has the same number of players in the world's top 10 (three) as our own country (USA) of 300 million.
It has occurred too often to deny that the power of inspiration in a child is more than able to overcome any weakness in infrastructure. For today's three young Serb tennis stars — Novak Djokovic, 20, ranked No. 3 in the men's game, and Jelena Jankovic, 22, and Ana Ivanovic, 19, ranked third and fifth in the women's game — surely were enraptured by a dream in their tender years as they watched Seles will her way to world champion.
And "will" is the operative word when seeking to understand how these three have come so far despite their rudimentary backgrounds. Practicing in a drained swimming pool between bombing runs is part of the legend, but more likely the universal equation of determined ability plus wise guidance (all three attended foreign tennis academies in their formative years) has led to success on the world's stage today.
Djokovic (pronounced JOKE-o-vitch) certainly shouldn't be considered one as he is a first major away from becoming the third wheel on Roger and Rafa's Duallie. He has done everything but win one this year, reaching the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon and, notably, beating Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back to back to back to win the Canadian Open in Montreal two weeks ago. (Imagine that phone call home: "Who did you play, son, and how did you do?")
To watch him play is to see nothing extraordinary aside from sound technique and excellent agility, but the intangibles under the hood — burning desire, calmness and courage under pressure — are what bode well for even bigger things ahead. Plus the closeness of his family will help keep his meteoric success in perspective — I watched the Djokovic family take up a back court at Wimbledon a couple of years ago, where big brother Novak was batting it around with his young siblings, burgeoning tennis players in their own right. There was a lot more there than a short stint of obligation.
The women's side
Jankovic (pronounced YANK-o-vitch — yes, like parodist "Weird Al" ... hopefully, no relation) has shot up to No. 3 in the world this year by playing lots and lots of tournaments (21 entering the U.S. Open) and doing well in many of them (three titles, including the Italian Open and the semis of the French Open). As quick to smile as she is on her feet, Jankovic has the punishing groundstrokes and an improving consistency of demeanor that should take her far in New York, that is, if she doesn't face her nemesis, Justine Henin, who has beaten her in all seven meetings, including five times this year.
The final Serb of the trio, Ivanovic (pronounced Ee-VAHN-o-vitch), is destined to be the next glamour girl of the women's tour (OK, so the defending champ, world No. 2 media maven Maria Sharapova, might have something to say about that). Her website having replaced that of another Anna as the most visited among female athletes, Ivanovic has much more than stunning looks in her tall (6-1), dark and athletic frame. Her crunching forehand has been stunning opponents all year as she has won two titles and reached the final of the French Open and the semifinals of Wimbledon (she also has a mean little habit of beating her older and higher-ranked compatriot, having won four of five encounters). Look for Ana to dazzle more than her opponents in New York.
All of this Serb talk is not meant to distract from the more likely title winners at the U.S. Open — Federer, gunning for four in a row, and Henin, past champ and world No. 1, are the favorites — or to diminish our homegrown players' chances (James Blake has had a good hard-court season, and when he gets the mo' going, look out), but the fact is that three young players from a landlocked country making big waves on tour very well could result in a big splash in New York.
David Wheaton, a Minnesota native and former professional tennis player, is a Star Tribune contributor. He is an author, speaker, radio talk show host and the touring pro at Wayzata Country Club. You can find out more at davidwheaton.com.
Djokovic Looks To Break Up the Reign of the Top Two
Tennis
By TOM PERROTTA
June 1, 2007
PARIS — For Novak Djokovic, the no. 6 seed at this year's French Open, there have been few bumps in the road from the courts near his parent's pizzeria in Serbia to the upper echelon of tennis. At 4 years old, he picked up his first racket. At 6, 7, and 8, he watched his idol, Pete Sampras, win Wimbledon. At 12, he moved to Germany to train. Four years later, he played his first professional match.
Djokovic, now 20, continues to improve, both on the court, where he has won five titles and become a threat on every surface, and off, where he's grown from a wiry boy whom many accused of gamesmanship, to a young man who's forthright, funny, and, increasingly, a fan favorite for the shots he hits and the emotion — usually punctuated by fist pumps — he shows during his matches. His rise, steady like his strokes, has surprised many on the tour, including Roger Federer, who said this week that he didn't think much of Djokovic when he first played him in Monte Carlo last year.
"I wasn't too impressed, to be honest," Federer said. "He did definitely prove me wrong."
Federer might be forgiven for doubting a young man from Serbia, a landlocked and historically poor nation known for strife, not prowess in tennis. Although that's changing now because of Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic, two women who are ranked inside the top 10. Add to this that Djokovic's family had no roots in tennis. His father, Srdjan, was a professional skier and good soccer player. His mother, Dijana, earned a degree in athletics. Neither of them played tennis, and they did not introduce it to their son. If not for the three courts that were built near their mountain restaurant when Djokovic was a child, he might never have played. Once he showed signs of talent, Jelena Gencic, a pro from the former Yugoslavia who previously worked with Monica Seles and Goran Ivanisevic, made sure Djokovic learned properly.
"I was really lucky that I got to practice with a woman, who in my opinion is probably the best, not even in our country but in the region, for kids," Djokovic said in an interview yesterday after he moved into the third round with a 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1 victory over French qualifier Laurent Recouderc.
Rumors swirled last year that Djokovic was considering a move to Great Britain, where tennis has fallen on hard times (excepting Andy Murray), in exchange for improved resources and training. But he didn't leave Serbia, and now his younger brothers, Marko, 15, and Djordje, 11, are following in his footsteps — Marko trains in Germany, as Djokovic did, and is playing junior events, and Djordje will do the same. Asked if his brothers might one day become the best players in the Djokovic family, Djokovic replied, "Honestly, I hope so."
Before his brothers pass him, however, Djokovic has a modest goal: attain the no. 1 ranking.
"I don't care if it comes in one or 10 or five years," he said. "I'll do my best to achieve it."
Considering that the current no. 1 is 25 years old and, most people believe, on his way to becoming the greatest player in history, Djokovic has his work cut out for him. Yet if he continues to improve at this pace, he might close in on Federer sooner rather than later. Djokovic trails only Federer and Nadal in ranking points this season, and he has lopped 10 places off his ranking this year. The year-end Masters Cup, which accepts the top eight players and remains Djokovic's chief goal for the season, is within reach. The French Open semifinals are not out of the question, either.
At Roland Garros last year, Djokovic reached the quarterfinals before retiring against Rafael Nadal (he lost the first two sets). This year, he might meet Nadal again, in the semifinals. Though Nadal would be the favorite, Djokovic won their last meeting in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (he later won that title).
In many ways, Djokovic is better than Federer was at this age. He doesn't swing as beautifully as Federer, but one could say that of almost anyone. Djokovic's forehand does not quite have the pace, at least not as often, as Federer's, and he's not as adept at the net (he's fine tuning his volleys under the tutelage of Mark Woodforde, one of the game's all-time great doubles players). But his backhand, two-handed and deadly down the line, is less susceptible to error, and his serve has improved dramatically (his second serve has been among the best on tour this season). In terms of tactics and confidence, he's superior to the 20-year-old Federer, though probably not Nadal, who won his first French Open at age 19.
Federer-Nadal, Nadal-Federer — it's all anyone talks about these days, which is no surprise considering that each man has held his ranking for a record number of weeks. The two of them have won 11 out of the last 13 Grand Slam titles; as Djokovic so simply put it, "They are the two best players in the world by far." But he's not going to lower his expectations.
"I'm now one of the couple of players which I think are very dangerous for Federer and Nadal," he said. "That win over [ Nadal] in Miami gave me confidence and more faith. We'll see what happens."
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