"Volume 1"Yeah, I thought of one last thread we needed... you know, for all the articles about him that are written, etc.
NOW we are set with the threads I believe.
But this will be the lovely place where our Serbian friends post the articles and we wait for translations
Yes, that is the question.Yup, even Roddick beat Roger recently, so I don't think anyone expected Rafa will never win again, since he's a bit better than Roddick So I wouldn't worry about that; however when Novak is going to come out of his emotional dump, that is the question. Wait and see I guess, nothing else we can do.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Novak, please.
Q. It's been a tricky week for you in every respect. Was there a sense perhaps today, as we felt, that everything caught up with you a little bit, and perhaps that reflected a little bit in your performance today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I definitely don't want to take away anything from Rafa's win. I mean, he deserved to win today. He was a better player. But it's a fact that I just didn't have any, I think, emotional energy left in me. So I was there physically, you know, game wise I was playing okay throughout the week. But, yeah, it was a bad day. If I wanted to have any chance of winning against Rafa on clay, you know, I needed that extra gear, which I didn't have.
Q. Did you feel that he played at a higher level than when you beat him on clay last year?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He always plays well on clay. He rarely, rarely plays worse than he usually does. It's been like that throughout the years. Actually, he has been improving. I think today he played just enough to win. I made a lot of unforced errors. I just wasn't there. You know, I didn't play well. He took his opportunities first set and made a break, and that's it. I didn't make him play at all, you know. I just was out there trying to put the ball in the court.
Q. After you lost the first set 6 3, normally you are a fighter, second set you were down 4 0, didn't seem that there was a way to change the game.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it's a strange feeling really. What can I say? You know, I never been caught up in this kind of emotional situation before. I'm just happy to reach the finals really under the circumstances.
It's been a very difficult week for me to go through mentally. I won three matches since the news that I got. I mean, I think I did pretty well. Obviously today I faced a better player. I didn't have enough to win against him. That's all I can say really. I just hope to have enough time now to regroup and to rest and to recharge the batteries and move on.
Q. Would you say this final shouldn't count as a trend for the rest of the season, that it's an exception?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You know, every win is a win. Look, as I said on the start, I don't want to take anything away from his win. He won the tournament. It's the finals. Definitely everything counts, you know. It's not an exhibition event.
So, you know, I will try to come back. I will try to come back and play my best. I feel good on the court game wise. I just need to get my things straight in the head.
Q. Everyone could see that you were not the real Djokovic today. What was going through your mind when you were playing and you realized also that you were in trouble? You lost five times your serve without ever reaching deuce. What is your feeling?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I just explained. It's just that feeling that I didn't experience before. Yeah, you know, it's a very mental game. That's the bottom line. You can feel physically well, you can feel well the whole tournament, and then the day of the finals, whatever, if something goes wrong, if you don't feel as confident on the court or as clear in your mind, as focused, the game falls apart. That's what happened to me.
Q. Given the circumstances, you've done very well to be here. Do you think somewhere down the line maybe you'll look back on this and feel a great sense of pride about what you've done this week?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I definitely should. I'm encouraged by a lot of people. I'm very grateful for that, especially the support of the close ones, the team, the girlfriend, my brothers were here, friends. You know, every day I'm in touch with my family back in Serbia. It's been a tough week, not just for me but for everybody in my family. We're going through this together. You know, in the end I've played finals and I'm really happy for that. So I need to move on and try to look better and feel better on the next one.
Q. There have been many outstanding achievements in this sport. Winning a title eight times in a row, what do you make of that as an individual achievement?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: My head's down. There's not many words you can normally say. Fantastic, impressive. The way he's been treating this sport is a real example of a champion, you know. He's one of my biggest rivals, but I only have nice things to say about him. He's been achieving so much. Every year he comes back and he looks like he's the first time in this place. I have to give him credit.
Q. Do you think due to the tragic loss you will make some change in the next couple of weeks in your tournament schedule to get a little bit more rest?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, we are about to see really because it's still just half an our from the end of the match, so I need to talk with my people and see what is the best solution for me to feel better, to get better.
Right now, you know, I'm here and I obviously have to go to visit my grandfather's grave and see, because I wasn't there on funeral yesterday. So I'll be there.
Q. Do you think finally the last word about this tournament is the unique situation here technically, not because of the ball, the surface, the wind, your personal problems, or is it a unique situation which doesn't count too much?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, again, you know, I got the same question. I don't want to say it doesn't count. Everything counts, look. Is it a unique situation for me this week? Yes, it is. Well, look, you know, me playing the five, six times I played in Monte Carlo, honestly I never felt such a strong wind and change of directions.
But it was the same for every player. It's the same for all of us. Rafa just has a better way of playing in these conditions. So he uses that to his advantage over the opponents.
Djokovic can win French Open
By Eurosport | Patrick Mouratoglou – Sun, Apr 22, 2012 08:20 EDT
Like the start of last year's clay season, the question of who will dominate on this unique surface has arisen. For several years we were used to seeing Rafael Nadal having most of the answers, but a change came last season with the rise of Novak Djokovic.
Not only did the Serb take Nadal's number one spot, but he went so far as to hunt on Rafa's turf, preventing him winning most of the clay events, most notably in Madrid.
I remember that, after Djokovic's outstanding start to last season, journalists were wondering if he had what it takes to shine on clay. He set the record straight by winning titles in Rome and Madrid - and by beating the king of clay, Rafa.
Yet doubts remain for some people, who focus on two key points: first, Nole lost in the semi-finals of the French Open - the only Grand Slam missing from his collection; second, there is the argument that his success on clay last year was more a result of his imperious all-surface form 'carrying' him through, as opposed to any particular improvement on clay.
Therefore this year we need to look at his overall confidence, and how this will help him at the start of the clay season. In this respect I feel that Novak is at the same point as last year, but that he's not expressing it in the same way.
In 2011, he was flying high. It was new for him to be at the top of the tree and that feeling was pushing him forward. That feeling of invincibility could only last for so long, however. The Serb now has to find an emotional balance suited to staying at the top rather than making it there. I think he's on his way to finding it.
He is managing his matches much better, finding wins without putting too much emotional effort into it, only giving his all at the key moments. He knows that this energy has to be saved for the most important matches, against dangerous opponents when he will have to be at 100 per cent from the first to the last point.
Novak may have won less so far this season when compared to the same time last year, but he still took the first Grand Slam of the season, plus a Masters title. In my opinion, he's in total control of the situation, saving himself for the strong points of a season that will be heavier than last year because of the Olympic Games.
The French Open, Wimbledon, the Games and then the US Open will be the tournaments where a player like Djokovic has to be on top of his game. So now he has to know how to save his energy in order to deal with his season.
In 2012, it seems to me that overall he is just as dangerous as he was in 2011. So mentally and form-wise he is there — but how, if at all, has he improved his weapons on clay specifically?
Nole's powerplay
One of Djokovic's best weapons is his positioning on the court.
Contrary to the stereotype, clay can be mastered by players able to dominate from the baseline. Novak often takes the lead because of the way he starts a point - serve and return - and he knows how to keep going by remaining on the baseline.
He puts in a high tempo because of how early he takes the ball, suffocating his opponent. His rivals are out of breath, have to move back and so let Nole take over.
This 'takeover' begins with the start of the point; he dominates immediately and refuses to relinquish control. His serve helps a lot in this respect because he has managed to master the slice and topspin, putting the opponent off court with the first shot.
Regarding the return, Djokovic is one of the two best players in the world in percentage of points won after first and second ball from his opponents.
He puts his entire bodyweight forward, strikes the ball with high quality and determination.
His other strength is his game style. He has the physique, the mental resistance and the patience to handle long points.
He's the kind of player who builds his points, but who knows how and when to seize opportunities to end the point. It's an obvious advantage on clay, a surface requiring more patience and point development than the others.
His defensive game is one of the most efficient in the world. It's very useful on a bad day, when Plan A isn't working or when the pressure is high and the ability to take the lead is reduced. On clay, it's another obvious quality.
Finally, while Nole's best shot is still his backhand, I think his forehand is more efficient on slow surfaces and particularly those that bring shots to life after they hit the floor.
Nole's forehand has a lot of topspin: he doesn't like to be attacked with pace on this shot, or have to use it against sliced serves. On clay though, he can use his forehand a lot more, giving him an extra weapon in his dominance strategy.
How can he be stopped?
The Serb obviously has everything needed to shine on clay. So what could prevent him from winning the French Open this year?
Nole is his own worst enemy as he can be a victim of overconfidence at times, such as his semi-final against Roger Federer in Paris last year.
He tried to beat the Swiss master at his own game and, while the feeling of invincibility can be an extraordinary weapon, it can also turn against him, clouding his judgement.
But this year Nole has more experience and really wants to triumph in Paris so he can make the full Slam in two years. He will be very focused.
His second enemy is Federer. He's the player who gives him the most problems: he prevented him from reaching the last French Open final, and has had two match points in their US Open semis. The Swiss, back to his best, has the game to upset the Serbian.
He also has a third enemy: strangely, given it is one of his strengths, it is his positioning on the court.
When he faces someone able to handle his rhythm and push him back, Novak loses his state of dominance. Few players can achieve this level of performance.
For me only Federer - in those two Grand Slams in 2011 - and Andy Murray - for two sets at the Australian Open 2012 — have been able to do this.
But as far as I'm concerned, Nole will be the big favourite for Roland-Garros in 2012.
http://novakdjokovic.com/en/news/tennis/novak-to-miss-serbia-open/Novak Djokovic has decided to pull out of the Serbia Open tournament, an ATP World Tour 250 event taking place in Belgrade from April 30 to May 6.
“After consulting with my family, I’ve made a decision not to take part in the tournament this year. I will take some time, try restore my emotional energy. This is certainly one of the toughest decisions in my career, but it is impossible for me to play in the next few days and to think about tennis, when there are some other things in my head,” Djokovic explained.
Nole will next play at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid. The 24-year-old Belgrade native will enter the event as the defending champion.
It's always a big relief that there are some on the planet who genuinely like his gear. :lol:I like it :lol: