'Extraordinary' Novak strength that sets him apart

1 year ago 92

Australian tennis large Wally Masur was afloat of praise for Novak Djokovic up of the Australian Open men's last connected Sunday.

In his 18th showing astatine the Melbourne major, Djokovic has upheld his practically unbeatable grounds Down Under - lone dropping 1 acceptable during his superb campaign.

Asked precisely what makes the 21-time expansive slam champion truthful good, Masur underlined Djokovic's crisp memory, dedication to his trade and businesslike equilibrium of skills.

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"He's got a caput similar a alloy trap," helium told Stan Sport's Grand Slam Daily.

"He wants it truly badly, helium leaves nary chromatic unturned.

"His attack to the crippled is truthful scientific, whether it beryllium physio, rehab, prehab, mentation - his information investigation is 2nd to none. He's incredibly professional.

"He's consumed by the sport. I deliberation he's got his oculus connected history. I deliberation helium wants the astir slam titles.

"He's beauteous complete, he's a freakish jock for this sport.

"He has this benignant of elastic energy. You spot him astatine afloat agelong and helium tin enactment balanced astatine afloat agelong portion playing a meaningful shot, past you tin powerfulness retired a descent and he's backmost successful the constituent and he'll bash it clip and clip again.

Djokovic toys with Tsitsipas successful on-court chat

"Incredible jock - 1 of the astir balanced tennis players I've ever seen. He's beauteous complete."

However, not everything has gone Djokovic's mode this tournament.

"Some of it is his ain doing and immoderate of it is retired of his control... A batch of distractions," Neroli Meadows said of the challenges Djokovic has had to flooded successful Australia.

Watch the Australian Open unrecorded and escaped connected the Nine Network: Channel 9, 9Gem and 9NOW.

On his instrumentality to the country, the 35-year-old had to rebuild his nationalist representation successful Melbourne aft past year's deportation scandal.

He past suffered a hamstring wounded successful the lead-up to the Australian Open, which helium has battled passim the 2 week campaign.

Fans' prime could trigger 'angry' Djokovic reaction

Djokovic has besides taken connected the load of distraction astatine the pointy extremity of the tourney aft his father, Srdjan, was filmed astatine a pro-Russia rally extracurricular the precinct past week.

"I deliberation it conscionable speaks to however helium tin compartmentalise things because, with a batch of the apical players, determination are things that are going connected - could beryllium with family, it could beryllium with a friend, it could beryllium illness, it could beryllium a full batch of things," Masur said.

"I deliberation it's amazing, you cognize however the bully players similar Novak successful particular, and determination person been times successful the past excessively wherever helium struggled with wounded and assorted things are going on.

"But helium tin conscionable find that infinitesimal successful the lucifer wherever the lone happening that matters is that point. And to beryllium successful the infinitesimal I deliberation is an bonzer quality for a tennis subordinate due to the fact that determination are truthful galore points, truthful galore moments.

"But to beryllium capable to eradicate the past, [acknowledge] the aboriginal hasn't happened yet, [and] to beryllium successful the now, that is 1 of Novak's large strengths."

Djokovic volition conscionable Greek subordinate Stefanos Tsitsipas successful the final.

Ranked 5th and 4th successful the satellite respectively, the brace person faced each different connected 12 occasions, including successful the last astatine Roland-Garros successful 2021.

Djokovic leads their head-to-head grounds 10-2.

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