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Novak News & Interviews Vol.2

221K views 2K replies 116 participants last post by  talicnitom 
#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 :)
"Volume 1"
 
#1,254 ·
Excellent article, best points in bold (my choice :))

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/8237973/Djokovics-ugly-play-robs-him-of-deserved-credit

Djokovic's 'ugly' play robs him of deserved credit
MARK REASON

OPINION: The moment before David Ferrer hit his last serve of the Australian Open, he let out a howl of anguish. It was almost primeval.

Machismo is important in Spain and the fifth best tennis player in the world had just been emasculated. David's slingshot didn't have so much as a peanut left in the sack.

And still Novak Djokovic does not get the credit he deserves. The world No 1 has won five of the last nine grand slam titles. He has been in eight of the last 10 finals. He has dominated Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray during the past two years, leading each of their head-to-heads 7-3 (barring one retirement against Murray). But the greatest? Nah.

No-one disputes that Djokovic is playing in perhaps the supreme era of men's tennis, but you would have to travel to the outskirts of Belgrade to find more than the odd person who would even consider giving Djokovic the ultimate ranking. It is odd, but there is a peculiarly human reason for this oddness.

Djokovic ain't pretty. He is a jarhead in many people's eyes - although the man speaks four languages and has a great deal going on in that elongated skull - and an ugly tennis player. He crushes the ball, just as he crushed Ferrer's manhood. "Inhuman" is an adjective oft used to describe Djokovic's play.

Impossibly, he led Serbia to a Davis Cup triumph. He is the rise of the machine. And we are threatened by it. We have always liked our sportsmen and women to play the beautiful game. That is why Federer is so beloved. His tennis is a thing of beauty. He evokes adjectives and passages from the world of arts.

Germany's Stern magazine once said of Federer, "Watching him play tennis is like watching Michelangelo at work on the Sistine Chapel." It is a ludicrous comparison. Watching Michelangelo at work would have been like watching paint dry. And besides, a lot of the daubing was done by assistants. But you take the point. Federer is a great artist.

Simon Barnes, of The Times, has always been particularly enamoured of Federer and that is by no means a criticism. Sport needs true believers such as Barnes. The columnist has described Federer as the Harry Potter of tennis and wrote "beauty was the art with which he destroyed his opponent".

Barnes has also invoked Shakespeare, saying Federer's matches are no more boring than Hamlet just because you know how it will all end. But then "there are actually people who believe that art no longer exists in tennis. That was modern art."

Unfortunately, Djokovic is biomechanics or some such other "boring" science. Tiger Woods lived on the edge of both worlds, the biomechanic freak and the artistic genius, but he had enough of those fist-pumping moments of supernatural magic to enchant us all. Besides, he was black and beautiful, big pluses in the largely white media world. In comparison, Djokovic looks to some like a white East European immigrant worker and their brains are screaming warning, warning.

The great Dutch football team of the 1970s is still revered because of the way it played the game. Beautiful orange. Even the colour of their shirts made a difference, just like the sunny yellow of Brazil. But Germany, black and white, the footballing machine, beat the Netherlands in the end. And we are still grieving for such an outcome.

We crave a beautiful frailty in our athletes. We even elevated Muhammad Ali to the status of greatest athlete of the 20th century. He wasn't even the greatest boxer. But Ali beat bigger and stronger men with words and grace and cunning and movement. And he was beautiful. And he spouted revolutionary nonsense. So all good then. Or make that, "The greatest".

It is not true, but then beauty has always blurred the truth. And it makes it harder to see Djokovic for who he really is. Nick Bollettieri, the innovative tennis coach, calls Federer "a magician". In contrast, Bollettieri describes Djokovic as "the most complete player of all time. Strength, speed, technique - no-one has ever had such a package like Djokovic. The longer the point goes, the longer the match goes, the stronger will be Djokovic. But no-one but God wins all the time."

Even the man who spent a career building tennis machines - Agassi, Sharapova, Courier, Seles - reaches for the supernatural word "magician" to describe Federer and the prosaic "package" to sum up Djokovic. Maybe Bollettieri is wary of a man who plays sport in dark socks.

The Serb has also been smeared by smartly phrased articles on drug use. But if one points the finger at Djokovic, why not Federer, who never seems to be injured and hails from a country that once specialised in murky over-the-border administrations, or Nadal, who was a physical phenomenon, or Murray, who gets stronger year by year.

I do not say that Djokovic has yet exceeded Nadal as the greatest, just that he deserves a great deal more consideration than he receives. It would help his cause if the Serb completed the career slam by winning the French Open, although he has a better clay court record than Federer and the absence of the French never seemed to harm the Swiss's claims.

But more than anything "Nole" needs to win beautiful. The third set of tennis that he played against Ferrer was the best that I have ever seen. No man could have lived with it. It was almost ... inhuman.

- © Fairfax NZ News
 
#1,257 ·
It may be just me reading too much beyond the line but there is something with this author that makes me not liking what he writes.

First, this is not a very professional article. There is no structure in it and the writer has no coherent thought throughout. Anyway, I believe this is more a blog and he is not really a journalist.

Second, I keep seeing the writer had a smirk on his face whenever he praised anyone in the article. Again, this is my perception. I even feel there is a racist undertone to it.

Finally, after I read the article with all these feelings, I google this guy on internet.

btw, I read this article before you post it here and I comment it without reference to the highlighted parts by you.
 
#1,258 ·
That article is so insulting, unless his purpose was solely to "throw Nole a bone," crudely speaking.

"Djokovic ain't pretty. He is a jarhead in many people's eyes - although the man speaks four languages and has a great deal going on in that elongated skull - and an ugly tennis player. He crushes the ball, just as he crushed Ferrer's manhood. "Inhuman" is an adjective oft used to describe Djokovic's play."

Is this paragraph really necessary? Why mention Nole's elongated skull and not Roger's enormous nose? Is it because Federer is an artist, thus it would be wrong to criticize anything he does? How is Novak's play "inhuman" when Federer is the magician? I thought magicians were the ones who made the impossible, possible?

I acknowledge Federer's unique style of play and obvious talent of the game; he's clearly the best ever. But, why is it that I never hear about the countless forehand mishits and backhand shanks that end up being winners? .... Oh wait, that must be the art. :lol:
 
#1,261 ·
Yeah I saw it like that too. What is that idiotic babbling about beauty? Is he suggesting Nole is not beautiful? what a loat of crap.
And I'm done with the underestimating thing. It's just something you repeat endlessly so you believe it. I don't think he is. I can tell you a thousand articles of praise and devotion to Djokovic, not just in tennis circles, but also in fashion magazines. So, no, I don't agree with anything at all.
The guy who wrote this is unprofessional and biased. probably a fedtard.
 
#1,260 · (Edited)
I remember thinking he did look noticeably improved, both gamewise and confidence in Wimbledon 2010. Hewitt was ranked low 20s/early 30s, but still felt like a massive match in the 4R. I was pretty tense throughout the match, even after Nole went 2 sets up (memories of the month before, obvs :p) - and you could see how much it meant to him too, with the original (half) shirt ripping celebration...

it was after the Rochus match I feel - he'd lost to X-Man in Queens, and then his old nemesis Rochus awaited him in the 1R. after that - can't remember his 2R, but he looked great against Montanes in 3R and against Lu in the QF. shame he was rubbish in the semis :p that tiebreak was epic until the DF... :(


and being a tennis fan, a big reason for supporting Nole is that I love to watch him play tennis (esp. when he's aggressive) - he has lovely clean groundstrokes, and now, a good looking service motion again. so obviously, I think that article is mostly completely subjective bollocks - "he needs to win beautiful" - in your eyes, clearly. he does a lot of the time in mine (that's the point).
 
#1,262 ·
I remember thinking he did look noticeably improved, both gamewise and confidence in Wimbledon 2010. Hewitt was ranked low 20s/early 30s, but still felt like a massive match in the 4R. I was pretty tense throughout the match, even after Nole went 2 sets up (memories of the month before, obvs :p) - and you could see how much it meant to him too, with the original (half) shirt ripping celebration...

it was after the Rochus match I feel - he'd lost to X-Man in Queens, and then his old nemesis Rochus awaited him in the 1R. after that - can't remember his 2R, but he looked great against Montanes in 3R and against Lu in the QF. shame he was rubbish in the semis :p that tiebreak was epic until the DF... :(


and being a tennis fan, a big reason for supporting Nole is that I love to watch him play tennis (esp. when he's aggressive) - he has lovely clean groundstrokes, and now, a good looking service motion again. so obviously, I think that article is mostly completely subjective bollocks - "he needs to win beautiful" - in your eyes, clearly. he does a lot of the time in mine (that's the point).
Exactly. There is this propagand machine going telling us that Federer plays beautiful and Djokovic plays ugly. What the fuck? I like Nole because I enjoy his tennis style the most, for me his shots are astonishing, absolutely beautiful and his shotmaking is mesmerizing. That's not winning ugly. This guy is an idiot. :rolleyes:
 
#1,263 · (Edited)
Lol, I guess we were reading two different articles. :) They way I see it (and why I liked it) is that the article points out that Novak's game and qualities are much deeper than perceived at first sight.

Gebhard Gritsch said something similar in his interview to some Basel papers I think - I don't speak German, but the conclusion is along the lines that you should know your stuff to truly appreciate what Novak is doing. Maybe some German speaker can explain better:

http://bazonline.ch/sport/tennis/Dieser-Glatzkopf-ist-Djokovics-Geheimwaffe/story/24099832

Btw, can't agree that Novak is still not understimated to some degree; it's unreal how often all attention was on Murray last year, and even a number of 'pundits' hinted or declared him as the best player of 2012. Never mind that before Wimbledon he was even top 5 in the race. I can't even imagine how it would look like if it was his 6th slam here, and not Novak's.

Unrelated to all that, here is one more interesting article, about Nole and tiebreakers. It's very long, so just the link:

http://www.changeovertennis.com/sta...trange-tale-of-novak-djokovic-and-tiebreakers
 
#1,266 ·
I believe Novak is still underestimated to certain level but that's more because he was behind Fed and Nadal from 2007-2010 and could not break that wall. In tennis, 4 years is quite a long time.

And for Murray, he was so hyped all his tennis pro life that I feel sorry for him. But that's more because of the British press.
 
#1,269 ·
Yea, of course, I don't really mind, merely noticing it. Murray practically had no notable results till Olympics, then suddenly he's the next greatest thing. Nothing against him of course, but it's ridiculous hype. Even around RG 2011 when Nole didn't lose a single match and that happened like... never, many people were quick to point he had "just one slam". Screw that. :p
 
#1,271 ·
^Someone I know who's worked and lived in GBR can give you an answer to all that.They're still stuck a few centuries ago when their country was master of the world so to speak.Still think that anything they produce has to be the best thing in the world.And when it clearly is NOT,look for all pathetic excuses.The British press made a ridiculous picture of Murray the player which led people to believe that HE in person is the one who always complains and looks for excuses.I watched his post-AO pressconference on Yt and he didn't complain,aditted his loss.:)
Being a fan these 2 is a tough stuff,my relatives who know something about tennis constantly ridicule them and throw misinformation at me.:rolleyes:
 
#1,273 ·


Djokovic meets his namesake

Belgium’s proud Serbian fan

by Stuart Fraser in Charleroi

The past weekend in Charleroi is one which will live long in the memory for driver Dragan Lazendic.

Born in Belgium in 1976 to Serbian parents and having lived in Brussels all his life, this weekend's Davis Cup tie between Belgium and Serbia offered him a chance to take some time off from his day job maintaining ATM cash machines. Instead of keeping the flow of money going, this week he spent his time transporting Novak Djokovic and the rest of the Serbian team between the hotel and Spiroudome.

There was no question that for Lazendic it was a dream come true.

“I have had the honour to drive all the Serbian tennis players,” said Lazendic, who is very proud of his roots. “All times the players are with me they ask to play Serbian music in the car. The players feel very good, they are relaxed and feel as if they are in Serbia. I put on the music and the party begins. They are very good guys.”

Lazendic, who reached a decent level playing in Belgian national competitions, already knows Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic after traveling to his academy in Belgrade last year to receive his coaching license from the Serbian Federation.

And now this weekend has given him the opportunity to get to know Djokovic. The world No. 1 has been happy to sign autographs for Lazendic’s family and even gave him one of his training tops.

The proudest moment came when Lazendic’s four-year-old nephew Novak got the chance to meet the man he was named after. “I asked Djokovic if it was possible for my family to come and take some pictures with him and he said it was no problem,” Lazendic said. “It’s a great moment for me and my family.

“Now the little Novak has met the great Novak, when we ask my nephew what his last name is, he says Djokovic, not Lazendic.”
So sweet and :rolls: the last paragraph
 
#1,276 ·
Don't tell me you haven't thought about it? :speakles:
I did! :lol:
 
#1,278 ·
Nole and Sampras to team in LA Tennis Challenge charity event on March 4

The world’s top-ranked player will team with his childhood idol, the 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras, to play Bob and Mike Bryan at the inaugural Los Angeles Tennis Challenge charity exhibition, at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on Monday, March 4.

Novak will also play against former world top 10 player Mardy Fish in a singles match at the event being co-hosted by Fish and former ATP player and Tennis Channel broadcaster Justin Gimelstob.

The star-studded night of exciting matches comes just days before the start of the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the season, BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

“I am very excited about playing professional tennis in Los Angeles for the first time on March 4, at the LA Tennis Challenge”, Novak said. “To be playing against my good friend Mardy Fish, and partnering with my childhood tennis idol, Pete Sampras, against the no.1 doubles team in the world will be an amazing experience. In addition, to be able to help raise valuable funds for so many wonderful charities in the process will certainly make being at the newly refurbished Pauley Pavilion, the place to be Monday night, March 4.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Novak Djokovic Foundation, the Justin Gimelstob Children’s Fund, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, Call to Cure and the Southern California Tennis Association’s community tennis initiatives.

The most successful doubles duo of all time, the Bryan Brothers, are very comfortable on the UCLA campus having won an all-time best six doubles titles at the Los Angeles Tennis Center and former home to the Farmers Classic.

“We will need to be sharp in order to beat two legends of the sport. Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras are going to be a tough team, but we are looking forward to the challenge of playing two of the greatest players of all time”, the Americans who won gold at the 2012 Olympics and have won an all-time record 83 ATP World Tour doubles titles said.

Justin Gimelstob visited Saint Sava church, the Serbian Orthodox church in San Gabriel, to promote the LA Tennis Challenge.


Nole sure gonna be exited:dance:
 
#1,282 ·
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kobe-lakers-hold-off-hawks-051204880--nba.html
... Novak Djokovic visited the Lakers' locker room with fellow tennis player Justin Gimelstob before the game. One day after winning the Dubai Championships halfway around the globe, Djokovic spoke at length with Howard, who claims he won a school tennis tournament as a kid.
:rolls:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/03/10/Djokovic-At-LA-Lakers.aspx
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic met some of the NBA’s biggest stars last night as he attended the LA Laker’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Landing in California earlier in the day after a long flight from Dubai, where on Saturday he won his fourth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Djokovic met Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and other members of the team.

The Serb then shot some baskets before the game started, nailing a three-pointer. He was interviewed by the Laker’s in-stadium video feed and sat courtside to watch the game.
:cheerleader:

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_22709974/novak-djokovic-headlines-l-tennis-exhibition-monday-at
Gimelstob: "We wanted to show that even if (tennis) has tough times, if you get the right talent and format and make it entertaining and engage celebrities, people will be there."

This is no ordinary tennis match. Gimelstob landed Djokovic for the event, and Gimelstob said none of the players, retired or otherwise, are getting paid to play.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Justin Gimelstob Children's Fund, the Mardy Fish Children's Foundation, the Novak Djokovic Foundation, Call to Cure and the Southern California Tennis Association's community tennis initiatives.

"Mardy and I are very close with him," Gimelstob said of Djokovic. "He's incredibly philanthropic and never played in L.A. I asked him as a favor. He's loyal and he understands how he can affect change and giving back."

Djokovic will team with Pete Sampras to play Camarilo twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the most decorated doubles team of all time.

Fish will play Djokovic prior to the doubles match. Tommy Haas and American James Blake will play the opening singles match.
This isn't going to be pretty... Let alone the fact that Nole's doubles skills is nowhere near Bryans', he will be hellishly nervous playing next to his idol. :lol:


Last but not least, 'Dwight Should Learn from Djokovic' The responses aren't too kind but still! :spit:
 
#1,286 · (Edited)
http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Sport/Tenis/Sve-podseca-na-seriju-pobeda-iz-2011.sr.html

Everything is reminiscent of the series of victories from 2011

Djokovic has travelled from Dubai to his exhibition matches in LA with 18 wins in a row (13 in 2013), brimming with confidence and planning to triumph in Indian Wells and Miami.

Dubai - Novak Djokovic has embarked on another streak. But, whereas the one of two years ago seemed like a miracle, like proof a new tennis great was coming to the fore, this one gives the impression of being the logical consequence of the quality the world´s best tennis player possesses.

When Djokovic won Dubai after the AO two years ago, nobody could even imagine he would not taste the bitterness of defeat until the semi final of Roland Garros.

Now it´s a different story. Winning these two tournaments already reminds us of what happened in the spring of 2011, when only the misfortune of not playing the quarter final match on the Parisian clay (the Italian Fognini withdrew two days beforehand), but an excellent Federer in the semi final as well, stopped him from breaking John McEnroe´s record of 42 straight wins from the beginning of the season.

Now Djokovic leaves Dubai with 18 victories in a row. He started his streak in November by winning the World Tennis Tournament in London and that is why the first five matches don´t count in the streak if you start counting from the beginning of the season, but they do count in the overall streak without a loss.

- It does remind me of that streak and it surely gives me even more self confidence. The very fact I´ve won this many matches in a row means a lot to me - Novak agreed contentedly when reminded of the days when we was unbeatable in 2011.

But that´s it as far as good memories are concerned. The number 1 is aware staying in the present is not only unavoidable, but the only way he can achieve further success as well. One can not live from good memories alone.

- I certainly have good memories of that streak in 2011. But I do not wish to get lost in them, nor do I wish to be overly focussed on the future. I wish to enjoy this win and to keep the way I handle matches psychologically as simple as possible. This means that I focus on what I can do in the here and now, and that means preparing myself for the next tournament in the best way I can.

Just like how he left for Belgium to the Davis Cup match a couple of hours after his victory in Melbourne, he didn´t have a lot of time for festivities now in Dubai. Already in the morning he has flown to LA where tonight a true spectacle awaits him. He´ll play an exhibition match with Pete Sampras.

- It will be very interesting and fun. It will be a tennis match and a testimonial at the same time. The cause is humanitarian, which is an added reason to be satisfied for me. I will play with Sampras for the first time in my life, on the same side of the court to boot. It will probably be phenomenal, because he is my idol - Djokovic said thrilled at the prospect of playing with the legendary Pete against the Bryan brothers.

Traditionally, March is reserved for two big tournaments in America of the Masters 1000 level, in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic has won them both, the first tournament twice, the second three times.

- I enjoy those tournaments. Perhaps I like Miami a little bit better, because the courts and the circumstances suit my game more. On the other hand, Indian Wells suits me as well. These two tournaments last four weeks all in all. There is time, the schedule is not congested, after some matches you even get a day of rest. That gives me joy, for I will be 100 % ready, both physically and mentally to fight for the trophy in both tournaments.

With his win in Dubai Djokovic extended his lead over Federer at the top of the ATP ranking list to 3745 points. That is a huge difference, which will help him extend his reign tremendously, perhaps until autumn even. However, he is fonder of the tennis racket than of the ´calculator´.

- I don´t want to involve myself with these calculations. I can not influence them. I can only influence my own game and my results. Mentally, it means a lot to me that I have won another tournament and that I haven´t lost as of yet. Such results will keep me in first place - he ex¨plained.

Djokovic underlined oncemore how good he feels in the Emirates and he has surely left Dubai stronger than he was when he came there. He has added a trophy to his collection, but he has also gained the knowledge that none of his top 10 rivals have managed to take a set from him, despite not being in top shape yet.

For Djokovic this was the first tournament he played after winning the Australian Open. It´s expected he will raise his form during the coming months, while striving to peak during Roland Garros. A triumph in Paris would gain him a trophy he has never taken home with him, as well as mark the halfway point on the road to a Grand Slam, the biggest success imaginable in tennis - winning all four of the biggest tournaments of the world in the same year.

Melbourne has already been won, if the same happens at RG, ´only´ Wimbledon and the USO remain, and he has won both of those tournaments in the same year once already (2011), so why would he not be able to do it again?

----------------------------------------------
Schedule in LA

Djokovic´ first match in LA begins after midnight CET. The exhibition tournament will be opened by Tommy Haas and James Blake, after which Djokovic will play a singles´ match with Mardy Fish and subsequently he will play a doubles´ match with Pete Sampras against the Bryan brothers.

----------------------------------------------

Two streaks

Two years ago, Djokovic halted at 41 wins in a row from the start of the season and at 43 victories overall, because he won twice at the tail end of 2010, when Serbia won the Davis Cup.

John McEnroe only had one more win (42) in 1984 as far as the best season start is concerned. The record holder of the most matches won in a row overall is Bjorn Borg, who stopped at 49 matches in 1979.

Djokovic now has 18 victories in a row, and 13 from the season beginning, for he won the first five in London in November. The road to the record is long, but Djokovic is playing better now than he did two years ago, and his rivals seem to be playing worse.
----------------------------------------------

The loss to Querrey was the last

Sam Querrey was the last man to beat Djokovic - it happened last autumn in Paris. Since that match Djokovic won the WTF (5 matches), the AO (7), one Davis Cup match in Belgium and Dubai (5).

----------------------------------------------

Yoga gives me stability

One of the details not many know about when the best tennis player of the world is concerned is his performance of yoga.

- There is nothing secret there, although I do not like to talk about things pertaining to my preparation for training and matches and the everyday work I do. I perform yoga and I am glad I´ve been able to get to know people who are true experts in this field. Yoga is one of the things which keep me stable, flexible and collected - Djokovic explains.

Yoga is not a novelty in Djokovic´ life:

- I´ve been doing it for 7, 8 years now. I do not go to any extremes, it´s not as if I am doing it for hours during a day. I do certain exercises that suit me. Several yoga masters have taught me certain technniques and I use those that suit me. Those are different for a professional athlete as opposed to someone who does not do any sports.
 
#1,287 ·
What a box of surprises Novak is... :)
 
#1,293 ·
Pre-tournament Interview in Indian Wells

NOVAK 'COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER START'
Indian Wells, U.S.A.
by Staff | 08.03.2013


Novak Djokovic says he couldn't ask for a better season start.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic finds himself in familiar territory coming into this year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Djokovic has an undefeated 13-0 season record and with an 18-match win streak overall, tennis media is beginning to draw parallels to the Serb's incredible season start in 2011, when he opened the year by winning his first 41 matches and posting 43 successive wins in a row.

It feels the same in a way, the way I started the year. I have great memories from 2011. That was by far my most successful year in my career,” said Djokovic. “It's very early still to say what's going to happen, so I don't want to predict anything. My mindset will stay the same, and that is to enjoy the moment, to be in the moment, to try to do my best in the present, and take it step by step and then see how far I can go.”

At the Australian Open in January, the 25 year old made history by becoming the first man in the Open Era to lift three consecutive event trophies with a four-set win against Andy Murray. After winning a Davis Cup singles rubber in Serbia’s first-round victory over Belgium, Djokovic then captured his fourth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by defeating Tomas Berdych.

“I couldn't ask for a better start of the season, winning [in] Australia and Dubai, playing on hard courts, which is my most successful and most preferable surface that suits my game the best,” Djokovic said. “So I won this tournament in the past, and I like spending time here and in Miami these few weeks. Hopefully I can maintain the high level of performance and move into these weeks with a great deal of confidence.”

Prior to his arrival in Indian Wells, Djokovic flew from Dubai to Los Angeles to indulge in a fun night out at a Los Angeles Lakers game before headlining a tennis charity event in the area the following evening.

“It was great. I met Kobe, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash,” said Djokovic. All of them are great athletes and great personalities. I was really surprised that they liked tennis. And Dwight Howard was describing to me how much he was playing tennis and how he won the tournament when he was in the 8th grade because his teachers made him play tennis for the first time and he discovered that talent.”
 
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