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uglyamerican · 01-06-2009, 05:14 AM

I don't have a positive feeling about this whole year!

We'll see if Novak tries to play next week.

Lee · 01-06-2009, 05:16 AM

Nole may get a WC to either Sydney or Auckland.

uglyamerican · 01-06-2009, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

Nole may get a WC to either Sydney or Auckland.

I hope not. Real chance of doing more harm than good.

Lee · 01-06-2009, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uglyamerican

I hope not. Real chance of doing more harm than good.

He needs more match practise

Herdwick · 01-06-2009, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

He needs more match practise

Definitely. He must surely go to Sydney now. Am concerned he looked so jaded so early though.

kalisita · 01-06-2009, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uglyamerican

I hope not. Real chance of doing more harm than good.

This match today showed he needs match play. He's rusty. Needs confidence. (But, I'd be real bad if he crashed out early somewhere next week as well.)

kalisita · 01-06-2009, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herdwick

Definitely. He must surely go to Sydney now. Am concerned he looked so jaded so early though.

I am as well. His body language was bad from the start. It's like the MC never happended.

uglyamerican · 01-06-2009, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalisita

(But, I'd be real bad if he crashed out early somewhere next week as well.)

It would be worse to get to finals and be all worn out going into the AUS OPEN.

Only 3 times since 1990 has the winner of the AUS played a tournament the week before.

In 2002 Thomas Johansson lost in the first round at Sydney.

In 1990 Lendl lost to Yannick Noah 6-1,6-4 at Sydney, then beat Noah 6-4, 6-1,6-2 in the Australian SF.

Novak would hope to emmulate Pete Sampras, who in 1994, lost in the first round at Doha (to 205th ranked Karim Alami), then took a WC for Sydney--won Sydney and the Australian.

PS--I changed this thread title, since that's what we're discussing, anyway.

Saumon · 01-06-2009, 09:17 AM

He can always play a match or two in Kooyong. No?

jitterbug · 01-06-2009, 09:35 AM

I don't care either way, I will be in both Sydney and Kooyong

Anyhowwwwww.. This article made it sound like he already accepted the WC:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/ne...uck_in_Sydney_

Quote:

Djokovic hopes to turn his luck in Sydney
Asia-Pacific News

Jan 6, 2009, 9:08 GMT

Sydney - Only hours after a first-round upset in Brisbane on Tuesday, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic was set to head to Sydney to tune his tennis at the Medibank International.

The world number three was granted a late wildcard into the men's and women's event which starts on Sunday, one week prior to the Open.

The Serb crashed out 6-4, 6-4 to Ernests Gulbis in his opening match of the season in Brisbane but was saved by the free entry in Sydney.

It will be the Serb's first visit to the city. 'I'm very grateful to receive the wildcard to Sydney,' he said. 'It was disappointing to lose in Brisbane but I now have another chance for more high quality matches in Sydney.

'I've heard a lot about the tournament and I am looking forward to playing there.'

Djokovic will come in as top seed in the men's draw in a field which also includes 2008 Melbourne finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and sixth-ranked compatriot Gilles Simon, Argentine David Nalbandian and four-time Sydney champion Lleyton Hewitt.

The women's field boasts Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Australians Casey Dellacqua and Sam Stosur.

Herdwick · 01-06-2009, 09:41 AM

Cheers - good. He can't go into the AO with no match practice - that's asking for more trouble.

Am worried he hasn't used his off-season time as well as he could have though. Am sure we all hoped TMC success in November would provide him with decent momentum into 2009.

Saumon · 01-06-2009, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterbug

I don't care either way, I will be in both Sydney and Kooyong

duplicity?

jitterbug · 01-06-2009, 09:44 AM

He probably needed this as a good kick in the boll*cks though

Anyway, I'll try my best to get Nole photos for you guys if I see him around in Sydney. I'll be volunteering so there won't be much spare time but I definitely need to hunt him down.

jitterbug · 01-06-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saumon

duplicity?

Astral projection

*Ljubica* · 01-06-2009, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterbug

He probably needed this as a good kick in the boll*cks though

Anyway, I'll try my best to get Nole photos for you guys if I see him around in Sydney. I'll be volunteering so there won't be much spare time but I definitely need to hunt him down.

Thank you, - and enjoy your time there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herdwick

Cheers - good. He can't go into the AO with no match practice - that's asking for more trouble.

Am worried he hasn't used his off-season time as well as he could have though. Am sure we all hoped TMC success in November would provide him with decent momentum into 2009.

Totally agree! Far too much partying - TV programmes, opening restaurants, football matches, nightclubs and generally having fun

BUT.......... from my point of view that's exactly why I love Nole

He may crash out early in Australian Open - nothing would surprise me

But I'd kind of hate it if he was a robot, who just practised 24/7 and didn't have a life outside tennis world. We're only in the first week of the season - last year was great for the first 6 months and pretty sh*t for the second........... maybe this year wll be opposite. Nole is always full of surprises.