Djokovic reveals truth about injury 'scare'

1 year ago 49

By Sam Worthington and Emily Patterson

Novak Djokovic has revealed that a hamstring wounded curtailed his signifier league with Daniil Medvedev, saying helium ended the hitout arsenic a precautionary measure.

There were caller concerns implicit the fittingness of Djokovic after the Australian Open favourite repeatedly received aesculapian attraction during Wednesday's signifier match.

The signifier league - which was Djokovic's first deed retired astatine Melbourne Park aft helium was infamously deported from the state up of past year's Open - was scheduled to instrumentality 75 minutes, nevertheless Djokovic exited aft conscionable 36 minutes.

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Addressing the retirement, Djokovic revealed that helium was dealing with a persistent hamstring issue, 1 that helium did not privation to marque worse conscionable days retired from the archetypal expansive slam tourney of the season.

"It's the hamstring that I had problems with successful Adelaide past week," helium told 9News Melbourne connected Wednesday.

"I conscionable felt it pulling and I didn't privation to hazard thing worse. I played a acceptable and apologised to him (Medvedev) and helium was understanding. I conscionable privation to debar immoderate bigger scares earlier the Australian Open."

The existent satellite No.5 broke Medvedev successful the opening crippled but erstwhile starring 3-2, called for attraction from a subordinate of his team.

The Russian erstwhile satellite No.1 past won the adjacent 2 games with Djokovic again receiving attraction astatine the interruption erstwhile trailing 4-3 and again astatine 5-4.

He retired from the lucifer aft Medvedev claimed the archetypal acceptable a crippled later.

Djokovic won the Adelaide International rubric connected Sunday aft battling hamstring issues successful the semi last triumph implicit Medvedev connected Saturday.

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The 21-time expansive slam champion appeared hampered successful Adelaide, clutching astatine his limb and investigating his scope of question respective times earlier beating the Russian.

Medvedev intelligibly thought Djokovic was feigning the wounded connected Saturday, mocking his rival by grabbing his near hamstring and hopping around.

Djokovic batted distant fears successful his on-court interview.

"Thankfully it was thing excessively serious," the 35-year-old said.

"If it was I wouldn't beryllium capable to continue. So, I conscionable tried with immoderate aesculapian timeout and immoderate inflammatories, and benignant of settled in...

"The longer the lucifer went the much my hamstring was warmer, I guess, and bothering maine less."

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However, speaking aft taking triumph successful Sunday's decider, Djokovic admitted that helium had worked "deep into the night" with his physio to get his limb close up of the final.

"There were a fewer times successful the lucifer I felt it was tightening up, the muscle, but thing that would interest maine for my performance," helium said.

The hamstring contented casts doubts implicit whether Djokovic volition instrumentality to the tribunal connected Friday for a scheduled signifier lucifer against Nick Kyrgios, a contention which sold retired successful nether an hour connected Tuesday.

The Serbian superstar was awarded the No.4 effect successful the men's singles gully for the Australian Open, with past year's champion Rafael Nadal this year's apical seed.

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