novak djokovic

Bogdan Obradovic: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t

Bogdan Obradovic

What he said:

“And you know what, if that happens, I’ll be a minister!”

Bogdan Obradovic jokes that Novak Djokovic is so popular in Serbia that he could easily be President.

“There is a joke in Serbia. Actually, it’s not a joke. It’s a fact. Ask any man, woman or kid and they will tell you Novak must be the president. Even the president will say, ‘OK, I am ready to vacate my chair for Novak’.”

The non-playing captain of his country’s Davis Cup team is in Bangalore where India play them for a spot in the World Group.

It was in 2001 at the US Open that Obradovic predicted (to a Serbian reporter) that Djokovic would be World No. 1 someday and win the American title.

“I told him that we have one kid back home and he is going to be No. 1 and win the singles title at the US Open one day. That interview was broadcast on Serbian national television. Many people laughed at me. Today, they smile.
You know Novak was junior World No. 1 at 14. He won the European championships. Now you may wonder how a European champion can be called a world champion. Let me tell you. It’s a funny story. Actually, even Americans and Canadians and Australians used to play in the European championships. It’s funny, I know. So, to me, Novak was the No. 1 junior in the world.”

On Djokovic’s elasticity:

“The good thing was that he was naturally elastic. So we developed an exercise regimen and made sure we didn’t destroy that aspect of his body. Look, most tennis players are strong and powerful. But they are not agile. They don’t possess elastic energy. This is not American Football or rugby. In tennis, you need to have elastic energy. By using your elastic energy, you tend to spend less energy during matches. This helps you recover faster. No one knows your tank capacity; how much gasoline you have. I can tell you Novak spends less energy than any other player on the Tour. That’s why is so fit. That’s why he is No. 1.”

What he really meant:

 “A minister ministers and that’s what I’ll do. After all, haven’t I been ministering to him for years?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Machiavellian, ain’t I?”

London, Rio De Janeiro and Nottingham: A Tale of Tests in Three Cities

Lionel Messi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Novak Đoković vs Roger Federer on 2010 Rogers Cup Semifinal game in Toronto, Rexall Centre 1:2 (1:6, 6:3, 5:7) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Roger Federer is still a champion.

Flying under the radar, the 17-time Grand Slam winner fought tooth and nail taking the championship match into the final set last Sunday.

Novak Djokovic may have clinched his seventh Slam. But no guesses for who walked away with the plaudits and the kudos.

Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov are amongst heirs-in-waiting to the Big Four. But for now, they are just that.

Brazil’s shocking disintegration against Germany in the semi-final and the consequent shellacking had their fans in tears.

No consolation for them in the third place match either. Holland walked away with the honours—a meeting their coach Van Gaal derided as leaving one team feeling a loser despite having reached the semi-finals. His exact words:

“But the worst thing is, I believe, that chances are that you lose twice in a row. A tournament where you’ve played so marvellously well, that you go home as a loser just because you could possibly lose the last two matches. So, this has got nothing whatsoever to do with sports, not in my view.”

It’s Germany versus Argentina tonight in the final. Two former champions, two great gladiatorial sides.

Germany hold the edge on current form. But Argentina have Lionel Messi.

The Barca galactico was completely out of sorts in the quarters and the semis; the man-to-man marking rendering him ineffectual. Can he do a Maradona and take Argentina home?

Knock-out games are less about scoring and more about attrition. It’s about waiting and hoping that your opponent makes a mistake and then capitalising on it and drawing the shutters down.

That’s how Holland and Argentina played out their semi-final. It made for extremely boring viewing. Van Gaal repeated the mistakes of the 2010 final against Spain when Holland played hard and foul ruining any possibility of their moment in the sun. Hoping to win on penalties should be a strategy for relative minnows such as Costa Rica, not for the team that has dazzled the world with its brand of Total Football over the past four decades.

The first Test Match between India and England got underway this week at Trent Bridge.

The hosts presented the visitors an Indian wicket: flat and lifeless.

The match has already produced a record of sorts. The final wicket partnerships in the first innings produced two hundred-plus partnerships.

If Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami showed that the wicket held no devils, Joe Root and Jimmy Anderson rubbed in the curator Steven Birk’s face in it with their world record stand of 198—the highest ever in Test cricket.

Birks copped some criticism for the state of the wicket.

Birk said:

“We wanted to produce a pitch with pace, bounce and carry which hasn’t happened unfortunately. There’s quite a lot of moisture underneath but it’s a hard surface on top which is why it’s lacking pace. The moisture readings taken earlier in the week were quite high and we haven’t seen enough of the sun to really bake it out.”

Ian Botham’s take on the pitch:

“You might as well be playing in Chennai with this wicket.”

Jimmy Anderson had similar views:

“Two days out we could see the pitch was not going to have huge amount of pace in it. That is something you just got to try and put out of your mind. We are as frustrated as everyone else watching.”

Has the mandate to ensure matches last into the final day hastened the death of Test cricket? Indian fans stayed away—their ratio a paltry 10:90.

Draws occur in Tests all the time. It’s the nature of the result that makes all the difference to the enthusiasts.

Novak Djokovic: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Novak Djokovic Believes He Belongs Among The Game’s Elite

What he said (via ATPWorldTour.com):

“I think luck falls on not just the brave but also the ones who believe they belong there.”

World No. 1, Novak Djokovic, answers the question,”What’s been the difference?”

The Serb’s interview with Patrick McEnroe  features in the debut edition of ESPN, The Magazine.

What he really meant:

“Luck is more belief than anything else.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s all about my gluten-free diet.”

Kimberley Nixon: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Kimberley Nixon Is Befuddled By Serb Names

What she said:

“Djokovic is amazing but I have a soft spot for Tipsaravic. For 20mins thought the umpire was saying chip sandwich?!?”

Welsh actress, Kimberley Nixon, was at the London ATP World Tour Finals (ATF) catching the action.

Nixon was well aware of Novak Djokovic’s exploits this year. But his fellow Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, came under her radar for the first time.

What she really meant:

“For better or verse, Serb names could be worse!”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I don’t really follow tennis. I merely play it by ear.”

Men’s Tennis: 3 reasons for Novak Djokovic’s superb season

Three  reasons for Novak Djokovic’s stupendous season:

3) Gluten-free diet

From being floored by flour, the Serb mopped the courts with his opponents.

Gluten was his kryptonite; free of it, he was transformed into a redoubtable foe—a Superman.

2) The HEAD Commercial

The Maria Sharapova imitation in HEAD commercials had opponents confused. Were they playing the Joker or Gorgeous Maria?

The ‘gentlemen’ would not let a ‘lady’ lose.

1) Rafa’s Autobiography

Rafael Nadal was too busy co-writing his autobiography leaving the Serb free to rewrite history books.

Feel free to add your own….

Quote of the Day:
All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened.
–Ernest Hemingway

Rafael Nadal: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rafael Nadal is Retrospective

What he said:

“The Rafa of 2010 had something more special than Rafa of 2011.”

Rafael Nadal introspects on his performance this year comparing it to his impeccable 2010.

Nadal said:

“Win or lose depends on small things. These small things I did better in 2010 than 2011.”

On Djokovic:

When I talk about improving or being a better player, it doesn’t mean making big changes in my game, it’s always just the small things, you just do them better, try to do them better.

This year Djokovic won three Grand Slams, he didn’t lose many matches. I don’t believe that he changed his game unbelievably. He did some small things better than a few years ago.

What he really meant:

“The Djokovic of 2011 is something special too.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“With Djokovic taking up permanent residence in my head, you’d expect me to return serve like him—circa 2010.”

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

A Union Occupies Andy Roddick’s Thoughts

What he said:

"I don’t think we’re storming offices, but I think the sentiment is still there."

Andy Roddick contemplates the formation of a players’ union. The seemingly heretical idea has gained ground in recent weeks because of the atrocious rescheduling of matches at the US Open this year due to rain. Andy Murray earlier called for a strike if the number of mandatory tournaments during a calendar year are not curtailed.Players on the circuit play almost throughout the year specifically if they are also committed to Davis Cup.

Roddick said:

We need to be smart about it and take our time and make sure that it’s well thought out and not be kind of reactionary. But, you know, there is a discussion going on.

You have to have a voice in order to get it accomplished.Whatever our individual interests are and what we want changed, nothing is going to happen unless we’re on the same page.

Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Shanghai Masters to recover from a back injury sustained during the US Open final. Roger Federer has opted for six weeks of  rest and recuperation skipping the Asian swing.

On their withdrawals, Roddick remarked:

They don’t get their money this week. Obviously, if they were feeling well and they weren’t worn down, then they would (be here). We’re not getting away with anything by pulling out of tournaments. I feel like that’s the way it’s presented sometimes. That’s just not the case.

What Andy Roddick really meant:

“What we really need is an ‘Occupy ATP and WTA’ campaign.”

What Andy Roddick didn’t:

“Fewer tournaments, more money. Can things get better than that?”

Magnifique Novak Djokovic wins battle royale, US Open title

Magnifique.

In a veritable slugfest lasting a little over four hours, Novak Djokovic trumped the defending champion Rafael Nadal—6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1—at Flushing Meadows on Monday, Sept. 12,  2011.

The No.1 seed had an answer for everything the Mallorcan threw at him—from his top-spin forehands, ripped backhands, deceptive serves and breaks of service.

If Nadal would break the Djoker’s service, Djokovic would come roaring right back with his incisive return of serve. The Spaniard was outlasted, out-rallied and outplayed by the Serb on his own terms—from the baseline.

The US Open is his fourth major and leaves only the French Open to complete a career Slam.

Continue reading →

Janko Tipsarevic: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Janko Tipsarevic Is Gluten Tolerant

What he said:

I am not.  I did my food intolerance test, which I advise everyone on the tour should do, and I took out some, how you say, substances or, you know, some kind of ingredients that I thought were good for me but they’re actually not.  But I did the test, and, you know, I am gluten tolerant.  (Laughter.)  I can eat bread.

Janko Tipsarevic is not gluten intolerant unlike his compatriots, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic.

What he really meant:

“Gluten is not bad—for me or my glutes.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I can eat cake.”

Carlos Berlocq: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"This guy is from another planet."

Carlos Berlocq was served a double bagel by No. 1 seed, Novak Djokovic in his second round match at the US Open. The Argentinean recovered somewhat to take two games off the Serb’s serve but was unable to hold serve himself. The final score: 6-0,6-0, 6-2.

Djokovic learned that he cannot please everyone despite running away victor in 90 minutes.

"One of the guys actually on the way out said: ‘Hey, listen, I paid 100 bucks. You’re staying an hour and a half on the court. That’s a lot to pay for a ticket. Give me something so I get back home with a happy face. Give me a racquet or something."

What he really meant:

“Gravity has no effect on Novak—this year.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“If Novak only had pointy ears, I’d have no trouble terming him Spock (of Star Trek).”