An injury setback has seemingly turned into a blessing in disguise for Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.
The former world No.1 was unable to defend his title at the Miami Open after withdrawing due to a right elbow injury. It was the first time he has missed the tournament since 2005. The recent misfortune comes during what has been a roller coaster start to 2017 for Djokovic. Since winning the Doha Open in January, he has failed to reach the semifinals at three consecutive tournaments.
“I skipped Miami and I haven’t done much in Indian Wells, so the start of the season wasn’t ideal,” Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade. “I had luck and pleasure to play at an exceptionally high level for six years and had fantastic results. … Things are a bit different now.
“I needed some rest. But I’m not disappointed because I spent some quality time with my family.”
Now free of pain in his elbow, the Serb is looking to get back on track at this weekends Davis Cup. Serbia will play Spain in the quarterfinals of the team competition. It will only be the second meeting between the countries in the Davis Cup and their first since 2009. Spain will be without key players Rafael Nadal and Roberto Bautista Agut.
“Spain is one of the most successful nations in the Davis Cup,” Djokovic said. “Their best players are not here, but we should not underestimate them.”
The tie will take place on a hardcourt at the Aleksandar Nikolic Arena. It is a far from perfect surface for Djokovic as he nears the clay swing of the tour. Still, with a lack of match play in recent weeks, the world No.2 is remaining positive.
“A hardcourt tie is not an ideal preparation for the clay court season but given that I was away for a few weeks after a patchy start to the season, I need as many matches as possible to get back into my stride irrespective of the surface.” He explained.
“The Davis Cup is a very special event as it generates the kind of home crowd atmosphere you don’t see on the ATP Tour, so I am really looking forward to performing in front of our fans. I always draw very positive energy from the Davis Cup as it invariably brings out the best in me.”
Serbia’s three-day quarter-final clash with Spain will begin on Friday.
Praise for his rivals
With Djokovic’s recent absence from the top of the men’s game, some of his rivals has relished in glory. The most notable is Roger Federer, who has already won three titles in 2017 including a record 18th grand slam title. Reflecting on the Swiss player’s most recent win in Miami. Djokovic hailed the rivalry between Federer and Rafael Nadal as ‘the greatest ever.’
“What Federer has accomplished this year is admirable and it shows that one can play at the top level even at his age. He’s had his ups and downs in the last three or four years but came back swinging and revitalised after a six-month layoff last year,” the 29-year-old said.
Djokovic currently has a winning head-to-head against both Federer (23-22) and Nadal (26-23). He has also defeated world No.1 Andy Murray in 25 out of their 36 meetings.
