Posted: 22.03.09 14:29. Post subject: НовоСМИ (1)

Статьи, ПК и проч. высказыания о Ноле

 Posted: 22.03.09 14:39. Post subject: Missing Nole: IW Cri..

Missing Nole: IW Crisis Center, Day 11

Hi everyone. Pete is taking a break from Crisis Center duty this weekend, so you're hearing from me today and will again tomorrow. As always when in Crisis Center mode, we ask that the day's chat stays focused on tennis until the matches are over. It's particularly important at this time, because as you all know, the latest version of TypePad has come along with a few teething problems, and the faster our posts fill up, the sooner we'll be in need of extension Crisis Center posts. SixApart are well aware of your feedback on the current TypePad release (thanks to all of you who took the time to be specific in your comments about it yesterday). Please bear with us for the moment - the SixApart team is working with us to improve your commenting experience, and we'll do our best to ease that for now by putting up whatever extensions to the daily Crisis Centers are needed.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but last night while watching the quarterfinal between Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic it struck me again with some force - I really miss the old Nole. Where is that chest-beating, cockily delusional young man who performed imitations of his fellow players as a crowd-pleaser on court at the US Open back in 2007, and who began his 2008 season with a flourish, ripping off his shirt and gazing skywards upon bagging his Australian Open title, and making then-defending champion Rafael Nadal look rather ordinary in their semifinal at Indian Wells, a title he also went on to take in the final? Nole looked to be on top of the world then, probably on his way to becoming the next world number two, with number one in his sights, as he was content to keep reminding us. Oh, there were those who complained about his family - even their corny-but-delicious little habit of wearing matching T-shirts spelling out "N-O-L-E" took a beating in some quarters - and the young man also found himself acknowledging, right after his Slam triumph, that the crowd had in the main been with his opponent that day. In spite of it all, he still looked as though he was having the time of his life, and feeling comfortable in filling his shoes.

Fast-forward to Indian Wells in 2009, and neither of his two big titles has been defended, with Andy Roddick being his conqueror on both occasions - that same Andy Roddick who was the losing quarterfinalist at his hands at the US Open. It was a victory that Djokovic followed by some extraordinary remarks to the New York crowd - hardly an impartial jury - in intended rebuttal or defiance of something Roddick had said about his medical timeouts during matches. How ironic that he retired against Roddick in their next Grand Slam quarterfinal, in extreme weather conditions during the Australian Open. He took some criticism for that retirement, which must have hurt - yet one thing we do know, even though it's not something he likes to discuss, is that he's had ongoing difficulties relating to his breathing, which may have been a factor that day. If it's a physical problem that he mostly manages to keep under control in order to play top-level tennis, then he may even deserve some admiration on that front in general. Whatever the truth of the particular situation in Melbourne, it didn't look to be the problem last night in Indian Wells, as he barely seemed able to do anything right against Roddick's newly-confident game.

How different everything looks now for him. To this observer, it also seems that his conception of himself in relation to the world has changed, and not necessarily in a joyful way. He always seemed to me to be an extroverted, high-spirited fun-loving type, not exactly gifted with the balm of tact, nor inclined to dissemble much about his thoughts. When he was on court, I always used to get the sense that he was enjoying himself and his new-found powers as his stature in the game grew.He also didn't appear to mind occasional controversies - though some later evidence suggests that some of the backlash may have hurt him more than it appeared to at the time. He's a more sober character now.

With only a year having passed since he was at his zenith, it's tempting to ask what has happened to the young man - after all, he's still only 21. Is there even a single culprit? We know he hasn't had an easy ride from the press, or from many tennis fans, and then there are his rivals. Can we point to Rafael Nadal, who last year gritted his way through a sensational semifinal match under the roof in Hamburg, to retain his threatened number two ranking against Djokovic, the challenger? I don't know how it felt to be Djokovic that day, but I was there, and I do know how oppressive the stadium felt with the roof closed, the skies outside low and grey, and the atmosphere heavy - the whole occasion felt truly portentous. Since that day Djokovic has defeated Nadal once, in Cincinnati, but the occasion was heavily overshadowed by Nadal having claimed the number one ranking on the previous day. On the other four occasions when the two have played since that day in Hamburg, Nadal has emerged the victor, and none of them can have brought the Serb much joy - who can forget the way their semifinal at the Beijing Olympics ended, with a tense miss by Djokovic, followed by tears as he was exiting the court?

Can we point to Roger Federer? The two have only met twice since their meeting at the 2008 Australian Open, on which occasion we know that Federer was dealing with the after-effects of mono and had put in a momentous effort simply to reach that stage, and on both occasions Federer has emerged as the convincing victor, with Djokovic retiring during the second set in Monte Carlo, and losing their US Open semifinal in four sets.

Finally, can we point to Andy Murray? Djokovic was able to dismantle him on clay in Monte Carlo last year, when expectations of the Scot weren't at their highest, but on hardcourts Murray twice defeated Djokovic in straight sets in Masters Series events - in Cincinnati the two contested the final, and Murray simply looked the fitter of the two that day. With Djokovic having failed to defend his Indian Wells title, and with Murray having relatively few points to defend during the upcoming clay season, is Murray the heir-apparent to the number three ranking? Of the top four, it would be pretty difficult to argue that anyone other than Murray or Nadal has improved most since early last year - take your pick.

Djokovic claimed the Rome Nasters Series title and was the winner at the Tennis Masters Cup last year - fine achievements that didn't involve defeating his three key rivals. Indeed, in Shanghai Djokovic sustained the third of a string of four defeats against the current world number 11, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, his opponent in the Australian Open final.

I have always loved the game's characters - or loved to hate 'em, as the saying goes - and am really noticing the absence of the 20-year-old Nole. I don't know whether it's his new racquet, his war wounds, the weight of unfulfilled hopes, other responsibilities outside of playing tennis such as his family's new tournament in Serbia, a desire to be appreciated more by fans, or even something offcourt relating to his family or coaching relationships. I don't even particularly love his style of play, but I do miss him, the challenge that he earlier seemed to embody, and what he seemed to promise for the future. I also miss a lot of the the swagger and the controversy. The key question I'd want to ask him right now is - what changes can he make to get back on track, and does he intend to make such changes? There's no doubting his talent, but something more is needed. At the top of the men's game some contenders are improving faster than he is - and even the number one player is raising his level simply to try to guard his position at the pinnacle, for now.

 Posted: 22.03.09 14:41. Post subject: ПК после поражения о..

ПК после поражения от Роддика в ИУ:

A. RODDICK/N. Djokovic
6 3, 6 2


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Andy was too tough today. What was wrong with your game and why this loss?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, overall it was a very bad day. There's not much to say. He played very solid. I mean, he didn't do anything special. It was all me making incredible amount of unforced errors.

Q. Usually we see you play with a lot of emotion. Today none of that.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I don't know. It's tough to explain, really. It's just one of the days when you really don't feel comfortable on the court.

Q. After you lost the first set, was there something that you tried to adjust in the second set to try and regain the momentum?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I just didn't have any momentum on the court. No feel for the ball, no movement. Just no solutions.
Once I started to actually, I wasn't patient in any stages of the match. I tried to put some first serves in, but it wasn't going in. Just overall, not even one shot was, serving.

Q. You're obviously very down and disappointed. When was the last time you ever felt like that on a tennis court?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know. It's hard to remember, really. This was one of the worst matches, certainly, I played.

Q. Novak, incredibly hot day. Could you talk about the heat, please.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I didn't I don't think heat was concerning me or him. It was same for both of us.
It was just something else. It was some other reasons, as I said. It's just hard to explain. The heat, okay I mean, you can't expect perfect days, because we're playing in the desert, and this time of the year it's even pretty fine weather, considering the fact that it's not summer, still.
But, again, I've played in these conditions many times before, so I didn't feel any physical breakdown. It was just mental.

Q. You travel with the PR, and I was wondering, is that something that you really need, a buffer? How does it help you traveling with a PR?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it helps, because there is obviously a lot of requests if you're a successful athlete, in general. This is something that helps out a lot.

Q. You're still chasing Rafa and Roger at the top. You have Andy coming up from below. Can you talk a little bit about the past you've had with Andy? You both almost came to the top 10 at the same time. You got there first. Talk about that a little bit.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, he's a great player. He improved a lot in the last seven, eight months, a year. I think the breakthrough was the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and then he just started playing really well.
He plays great tennis on hard courts, so I'm sure he has great chances in this tournament and in the future. So we can expect from him a lot. He was struggling with injuries, but now he's fit.

Q. On a similar theme, you're going to lose some ranking points here, and Andy will gain some. Do you think it's going to be close between you two this year for the No. 3 spot?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, it's going to be close. Who knows? It's just the start of the season. I'm not concerned about that. It's just something else which is bothering me: My game today, not rankings.

 Posted: 22.03.09 14:44. Post subject: Q. On a similar them..

quote:

Q. On a similar theme, you're going to lose some ranking points here, and Andy will gain some. Do you think it's going to be close between you two this year for the No. 3 spot? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, it's going to be close. Who knows? It's just the start of the season. I'm not concerned about that. It's just something else which is bothering me: My game today, not rankings.

хорошо что это тебя волнует, а то создалось впечатление, что тебе пофик

 Posted: 22.03.09 17:28. Post subject: Да уж... Какой там р..

Да уж... Какой там рэнкинг, когда такая игра, что аж в лес убежать охота... Но к чести Роддика, хочется сказать, что американец всё же знатно прибавил, Стефанкино влияние чувствуется.. Хотя всё это не оправдания для игры Ноля, которая требует активного вмешательства и тренировок.

 Posted: 22.03.09 22:18. Post subject: Света меня тревожит..

Света
меня тревожит, что он опят нес чушь про джаст ментал

quote:

It was just mental.

А то что игра фиговая он не видит что ли? тут одним менталом не отмажешься и даже тема с ракеткой не прокатывает.

 Posted: 22.03.09 22:26. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие ..

Стихийное бедствие
конечно, в теннисе игра и ментальность в прямой взаимосвязи, но ты права, что-то он порядок путает - сначала нужно игру почувствовать, а там и ментал домой вернётся. Ну, не могут же они не видеть, насколько он сдал по всем игровым компонентам?

 Posted: 22.03.09 22:44. Post subject: Алёна такое ощущени..

Алёна
такое ощущение что он этого в упор не хочет видетьи признават, уперся рогом в ракетку и ей пытается отмазаться и откреститься от всех неудач

 Posted: 22.03.09 22:54. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие ..

Стихийное бедствие
ракетка процесс запустила, конечно, но он сам этого хотел, вот пусть теперь и думает, как из вылезать. Если не видит, насколько плох, да ещё и Вайда потакает, значит падение в рейтинге рано или поздно глаза откроет. Да и ментально уже пора бы себя в кучу собирать, скоро 22 года. Не думала, чесно говоря, что у него процесс взросления и становления так затянется. Мне казалось, что он как раз из ранних.

 Posted: 22.03.09 23:04. Post subject: Алёна нравится мне ..

Алёна
нравится мне что здесь смайл этот есть -
он очень многое объясняет
Ноль всем мозг запудрил, слишком рано старатанул в жизни, а сейчас такое ощущение, что перегорел наш метеорит и опустошение настало.

 Posted: 25.03.09 09:24. Post subject: Ne plaљim se иetvrto..

Ne plaљim se иetvrtog mesta
Novak Рokoviж je na prvoj objavljenoj ATP listi u 2009. imao svega 20 poena manje od drugoplasiranog Rodћera Federera, a dva i po meseca kasnije mogao bi da izgubi i treжe mesto, koje je do pre nekoliko meseci suvereno drћao. Sada mu je za petama Endi Mari, koji je pre dve nedelje imao 1.840 bodova manje, a sada zaostaje 570 poena.

Рokoviжevo treжe mesto neжe biti ugroћeno na mastersu u Majamiju, koji poиinje ove nedelje, jer je on proљle godine ispao na startu tog turnira i ne brani ATP bodove. Ali, Srbin i sam priznaje da жe biti "tesna" bitka za treжu poziciju, ali i da ima razloga da brine za svoju igru.

- Vidite, biжe veoma tesna trka izmeрu Endija i mene. Ko zna љta жe biti do kraja, jer je tek start sezone. Ali, ipak ja u ovom trenutku nisam mnogo zabrinut zbog toga љto mi se toliko pribliћio. Viљe me zabrinjava igra na ovom turniru, a ne pozicija na listi - rekao je Рokoviж.

Tenisko rivalstvo izmeрu Novaka Рokoviжa i sedam dana starijeg Endija Marija vlada poslednjih nekoliko godina. Obojica su isticana kao vrlo talentovani teniseri, u isto vreme su uљli u top 10, ali je Srbin brћe stigao do prvog grend slema i treжe pozicije.
Љkot je imao probleme s povredama, ali poslednjih meseci igra odliиno. Jedini je teniser koji moћe da se pohvali kako je od poиetka ove sezone pobedio prvog i drugog tenisera sveta. Pre nego љto ga je Rafael Nadal savladao u finalu Indijan Velsa, Mari je dva puta pobedio Љpanca, a u poslednja иetiri susreta je izaљao kao pobednik iz susreta sa Rodћerom Federerom! S druge strane, Рokoviж je u poslednja dva meиa poraћen i od Nadala i od Federera.

 Posted: 25.03.09 09:43. Post subject: Статья о чпокович оу..

Статья о чпокович оупэн:
Poznato 19 učesnika "Serbia Open-a"

Poznata su imena 19 igrača koji će iz glavnog žreba početi takmičenje na turniru „SERBIA OPEN 2009“.


Pored Novaka Đokovića, trećeg tenisera na svetu, ljubitelji tenisa će na Dorćolu gledati mečeve još dva srpska igrača - Viktora Troickog i Janka Tipsarevića.

Pored njih trojice učešće su potvrdili Čeh Radek Štepanek, Rus Igor Andrejev, Hrvati Ivo Karlović i Ivan Ljubičić, Rumun Viktor Hanesku, Italijan Andreas Sepi, Amerikanac Sem Kveri, Španac Marselo Granoleros, Belgijanci Kristof Rohus i Kristof Vligen, Francuzi Arno Klemon i Nikola Devilder, Argentinci Giljermo Kanjas i Leonardo Mejer, Čileanac Nikolas Masu i Brazilac Daniel Markos.

„Čast mi je što mogu da vam potvrdim da će u maju na „MGM“ teniskom kompleksu, zajedno sa Novakom, igrati i najbolji svetski teniseri. Oni su oduševljeni što dolaze u Beograd i što imaju priliku da budu upisani kao igrači koji su učestvovali na prvom ATP turniru u Srbiji. Siguran da će publika na Dorćolu doživeti nešto neponovljivo i da će se cela Srbija osećati kao deo sveta“, rekao je Goran Đoković, direktor turnira „SERBIA OPEN 2009“.

 Posted: 25.03.09 09:47. Post subject: краткий перевод посл..

краткий перевод последней новости:
стали известны имена 19 игроков, который примут участия в Джокич оупэню. Помимо Ноля, зрители увидят таких сербских теннисистов как Янко и Витя (хто бы сомневался) ), а также приедет к ним Штепанек, Игорь Андреев( ), Крлович и Люба, Ханеску, Сепи, Курренок, Рохус, гранонулез Влиген, Арноша, Каньяс, Мейер, Масу, даниель Маркос.

 Posted: 25.03.09 13:13. Post subject: "Tereni жe biti ..

"Tereni жe biti spremni na vreme"
Direktor teniskog ATP turnira "Srbija Open" Goran Рokoviж rekao je da жe radovi na terenima biti zavrљeni na vreme.


Рokoviж je, posle obilaska radova u Sportsko-rekreativnom centra "Milan Gale Muљkatiroviж", gde жe se u maju odrћati turnir najavio da жe u utorak poиeti montaћa tribina za 7.000 mesta na centralnom terenu.

Gradonaиelnik Beograda Dragan Рilas, koji je takoрe obiљao radove, podsetio je da жe se ti teniski tereni koristiti i na Univerzijadi i izrazio nadu da жe biti zavrљeni u roku.

Рilas je kazao da жe grad, ako bude potrebno, pomoжi i obnovu bazena u tom sportskom centru, koji жe posle turnira ostati na raspolaganju Beograрanima, kao i 12 teniskih terena.

„U rekonstrukciju SRC „Milan Gale Muљkatiroviж“ uloћeno je oko 1,5 miliona evra", rekao je Рilas i dodao da idejni projekat nije menjan, ali da je izvrљena dodatna drenaћa terena, kako bi se ispunili uslovi Asocijacije teniskih profesionalaca (ATP).

Ministarstvo sporta i omladine je za ureрenje osam teniskih terena i pomoжnog objekta izdvojilo 40 miliona dinara, dok je Sekretarijat za sport obezbedio sredstva za zakup tribina, VIP љatora i kupovinu osvetljenja u iznosu od oko 87,6 miliona dinara.

Direkcija za graрevinsko zemljiљte i izgradnju Beograda je za ureрenje prilaza i parkinga tog centra, uvoрenje javne rasvete, vodovoda i kanalizacije izdvojila 198 miliona dinara.

Gradonaиelnik Beograda takoрe je najavio i da жe novi gradski sekretar za sport, koji жe naslediti smenjenog Igora Miklju, biti imenovan u naredna dva dana, ali nije ћeleo da navede ko je kandidat za tu funkciju.

 Posted: 25.03.09 13:23. Post subject: коротенько в двух ст..

коротенько в двух строках о чем тут написано:
Директор турнира, Горан Джокович рад сообщить что корты начнут работать в ближайшее время.
Он посетил спортивный центр, где сообщил об этоми о том что центральный корт будет вмещать 7000мест
градоначальник или как его атм мэр города Драган, сообщил, что эти корты будут использованы и в Универсиаде.
А дальше скока они таньгэ на все это потратили, чтобы выполнить все условия АТП и ваще как все круто и зашибись

 Posted: 25.03.09 15:07. Post subject: О, составчик-то серь..

О, составчик-то серьёзный, титул на Оупене имени себя может и обломиться. Я вот поставлю на Игоряшу, он на сербских грунтах всех замочит.

 Posted: 25.03.09 16:42. Post subject: Как говорится, жесто..

Как говорится, жестоко, но справедливо...

quote:

В отличие от прекрасных дам, мужчины долго не позволяли себе каких-то радикальных сюрпризов – во всяком случае, в четвертьфинал вышли все четверо топ-сеяных. Правда, уже после этих четвертьфиналов турнир в Индиан-Уэллсе не досчитался не просто третьего номера, но и на тот момент действующего чемпиона Новака Джоковича. О его поражении от рук американца Энди Роддика писали много, и, как ни странно, даже американские эксперты – с ностальгическим сожалением. Росанджел Валенти из Tennis World признается, что, несмотря на то, что Новак играет в теннис и никуда не ушел, она успела по нему соскучиться: «Наблюдая за четвертьфинальным матчем турнира в Индиан-Уэллсе между Энди Роддиком и Новаком Джоковичем, я осознала тот факт, что я действительно скучаю по старому Ноле. Где этот бьющий в грудь, петушащийся молодой человек, пародирующий всех подряд? Он начал 2008 год цветущим, срывающий с себя футболки и готовым взмыть в небеса после победы на Australian Open, потом в полуфинале Индиан-Уэллса он выставил Надаля заурядным игроком. Ноле планировал ворваться на вершину мира, став новым вторым номером, а в перспективе – и первым. Джокович всегда казался мне ярким жизнерадостным экстравертом, не отягощенным излишними мыслями и избытком такта. На корте он выглядел человеком, который наслаждается игрой, вновь приобретенными силами, своим ростом в теннисе. Но вернемся в Индиан-Уэллс-2009, Новак не смог защитить ни один из двух своих крупных титулов. И в обоих случаях был повержен Энди Роддиком – тем самым Роддиком, которого обыгрывал на US Open». По точному и емкому замечанию коллеги Валенти Эндрю Бартона сейчас он выглядит человеком, которому на спину приклеили бумажку с надписью: «Пни меня» – именно с таким выражением он выходил на корт, так же отвечал на вопросы на пресс-конференциях. По мнению Эндрю Бартона, Джокович выглядит человеком, которому на спину приклеили бумажку с надписью: «Пни меня» Именно поэтому Валенти продолжает: «Я всегда любила характер в игроке – или любила ненавидеть его – и для меня по-настоящему заметно отсутствие 20-летнего Ноле. Я не знаю, это из-за его новой ракетки или из-за тяжести неосуществленных надежд; других обязанностей вне тенниса таких, как турнир в Сербии, или желания, чтобы его больше любили болельщики; или даже из-за каких-то отношений вне корта с семьей и тренером. Я не могу сказать, что я люблю его игровой стиль, но я действительно скучаю по нему, по тем вызовам, которые он раньше, казалось, олицетворял, и тем обещаниям, которые он, казалось, давал на будущее. Мне также не хватает его хвастливости и споров. Ключевой вопрос, который я бы хотел задать ему прямо сейчас – какие изменения он может сделать, чтобы вернуться в игру, и намерен ли он предпринять эти изменения? В его таланте нет сомнений, но требуется что-то большее. На вершине мужского тура некоторые конкуренты совершенствуются быстрее, чем он – и даже игрок номер 1 постоянно повышает свой уровень просто для того, чтобы попытаться сохранить свою позицию на вершине».

Отсюда

 Posted: 25.03.09 17:08. Post subject: Блин, чо-то мне уже ..

Блин, чо-то мне уже Ноля жалко становится... То пели ему оды, то теперь листочек к спине приколоть пытаются... Фу, журналисты всё-таки злые люди. У кого не бывает проблем? Надо теперь всех чтоли пинать под зад?

 Posted: 25.03.09 18:31. Post subject: Алёна Ален статья о..

Алёна
Ален статья оригинал вверху на англицком прочти, она более интересная чем русские выдержки и боеле теплая

 Posted: 25.03.09 20:46. Post subject: Алёна я ток не особ..

Алёна
я ток не особо поняла, директором Жопович оупэн дядя что ли назначен, а почему не отец рОдный?

 Posted: 25.03.09 20:48. Post subject: Света пнуть Ноля - ..

Света
пнуть Ноля - это святое, ему до сихт пор не могут простить битье пяткой и высказывания, что он всех порвет и перервёт

 Posted: 25.03.09 20:54. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие ..

Стихийное бедствие
И не только Роддик до конца дней будет помнить пародии ыыыыы

 Posted: 25.03.09 21:10. Post subject: Света Родик видать ..

Света
Родик видать перед матчем с нолём их просматривает ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы
бедный наш чпокич

 Posted: 25.03.09 21:16. Post subject: Родик видать перед м..

quote:

Родик видать перед матчем с нолём их просматривает ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы

А что? как вариант, чтобы озвереть и настроиться ыыыыы

 Posted: 25.03.09 21:17. Post subject: Света у него увелич..

Света
у него увеличивается сразу количество лишних мелких движений

 Posted: 25.03.09 21:23. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие ..

Стихийное бедствие
Кстати, в этом плане Стефанки Роддика "подлечил"... Серьёзно... он как-то подуспокоился. Суеты в разы меньше. Хотя мож это его жена вылечила, тут так просто не разобраться ыыы

 Posted: 25.03.09 21:28. Post subject: Света вся суета име..

Света
вся суета имеет выход в семейную жизнь!
Стефанки, да шоб он скис ваще этот ваш Стефанки!ыыыыы
гнус терь проигрывает вот кому стефанки надо или что-нить в этом роде

 Posted: 27.03.09 11:17. Post subject: ПК в Майами: An inte..

ПК в Майами:
An interview with:
NOVAK DJOKOVIC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How are you feeling at the moment?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I feel all right. I'm physically quite fit, and mentally, obviously, motivated to do well here, to get far in the tournament. I've won this event two years ago, which is quite important for, you know, upcoming 2009 tournament.
It's quite suitable to my game, the surface, and I feel good, even though I had -- the last match I played in Indian Wells was quite disappointing. It was really one of the worst matches I've played in my career on this surface, so I was not happy with the way I performed.
But, you know, life goes on. I'll try to work hard the next couple of days and make things look right, and hopefully now I can get far.

Q. How would you summarize your first few months of the year for you? Are you happy with it?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yeah. I'm satisfied. I know it could have been better, and I wish something maybe a little bit more, especially in the major events, towards the end of the event.
But I just didn't perform my best tennis when I needed to, and it's just that -- but, you know, I had some decent results, you know. I played quarterfinals of the Grand Slam, semifinals of Marseilles, and then I won the tournament in Dubai, which was really important for my confidence, that I can really come back on the right path. So this is what I'm trying now.

Q. Can you talk about how close the field is, the world's top players? It's not just No. 1 and everybody else. What's that mean when you go into a tournament?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It means a lot in the first place for the sport, because I think it's -- it's a wish for all the tennis fans worldwide to see more
variety of the players, that they can win the major events.
So I think that's what's going on in this moment. You have not any more two or three, you have now four, five, six players that they can really go all the way through. So I think it makes it more interesting for the game, for sport, for everybody.
It's a challenge for us players since we have more candidates, more rivalry, and makes you want to improve more.

Q. Did you see the Australian men's final? Did you watch the men's final?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes. I did some, yes. Not all of it.

Q. You're an expert beyond any commentator. Was there anything about that match that took you by surprise or the aftermath? Or did it go as you thought it would go?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I thought it was quite a great match. They both played really well. You know, Rafa played more patient, I think better tennis in the important moments. It was just a couple points that it was really decided.
I'm thinking the last couple matches they played against each other it was really a couple of points that really decided the winner. So, I mean, they are the two best players in the world for the last four or five years.
Most of the tennis fans, what they expect from them is always to play a fantastic match. So really high level. That's what they did in Australia.

Q. The Roddick match at Indian Wells, you and Andy have a bit of a rivalry, for whatever reason. Is it that he's playing so much better this year with his new coach and new conditioning, or is it a combination that you kind of didn't seem that fired up for the match?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He's playing better. That's a fact. He's stepping up more in the court, and he's -- you just feel the improvement.
But in that specific -- specifically that match, it wasn't -- it wasn't only him, you know. He was playing a quite solid, solid match, but he didn't needed to do something extra, because I think I was giving him all the points away. I was just making incredible amount of the unforced errors, and already a break in the first game, you know, gave him a lot of advantage.
So I just wasn't myself that day. But, you know, turn the next page.

Q. Just to take you back to that match in Indian Wells, obviously immediately following it it's difficult for you to understand why you might not have played so well. You've had a chance to reflect now. Do you know why that performance was what it was?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Everything happens for a reason. That day and that match I wouldn't like to remember, of course, but you always try to learn from your mistakes. I didn't do a great job at all. I talked to my coach, and, of course, the team, and tried to figure out the way that I can make some things better.
I don't think it's specifically any shots, forehand, backhand, serve. Just in general, mentally that day I wasn't there. So I think that's what I need to really prove to myself, that I have quality, enough quality that I can be one of the best players in the world. I just need to be confident.

 Posted: 27.03.09 11:20. Post subject: Q. How would you sum..

quote:

Q. How would you summarize your first few months of the year for you? Are you happy with it? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yeah. I'm satisfied.

врешь ить как пить дать врешь, чем ты там сэтисфайд? ацтой кругом сплошной ацтой и ты это тоже знаешь

 Posted: 27.03.09 11:23. Post subject: and makes you want t..

quote:

and makes you want to improve more.

по тебе что-то этого незамэтно

 Posted: 27.03.09 11:26. Post subject: I don't think it..

quote:

I don't think it's specifically any shots, forehand, backhand, serve. Just in general, mentally that day I wasn't there. So I think that's what I need to really prove to myself, that I have quality, enough quality that I can be one of the best players in the world. I just need to be confident.

фигово если ты думаешь так на самом деле...

 Posted: 28.03.09 12:04. Post subject: ПК после победы над ..

ПК после победы над Данчевичем:

N. DJOKOVIC/F. Dancevic
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How do you feel today? You felt good?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I felt good on the court. I think most of my first-round matches this year I haven't got, you know, the right rhythm. But today I was pretty happy with the way I started this tournament.

Q. Any reason why your first-round matches have been awkward for you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Obviously I wasn't focused enough, and today I played the right game. I was really -- every single game I played I want to give my best, and I think I was -- the concentration was quite important key today.

Q. How is the experience to have the ATP tournament in your country?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it's a new experience for me and my family and everybody, I think, in Serbia. I think never had an ATP event in my country, so we look forward to that. We have a lot of interest in sponsors and tennis fans around Serbia, and it's already being announced. Everybody is waiting to have a ticket and come to see the tennis stars. It's the first year, so we're excited. We're going to try to make a great impression on the tennis world.

Q. The ATP is very happy about it as well.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, of course.

Q. So now are you going to have to do something more than play? Like are they going to make you clean up and fix things and organize?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: For me I think it's a challenge. It's excitement in one way, because I'm a player and this is my job, my life.
I've been involved in the players' council, so I'm really trying, organization-wise, to do some things and to be a part of innovations, let's say.
So being directly a part of the organization of the event is quite important for my tournament, I think. And because there are certain details on the tournament that I can help out, you know, the organization.
From the perspective of the player, it's exciting. So I look forward to it.

Q. Are you prepared, though? Like some players might come to you and go, Novak, there's not enough water, or Novak...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I'm not going to clean off the court, for sure. No, they gave me three instead of four balls for practice and things like that.
Well, you know it might be. It was funny, because I was not -- you know, not literally negotiating with the players to come to the tournament, but I was just talking it through so they can think about some of the top players.
I know it's not actually easy week, because you have the 2000 events, Rome and Madrid, and we're in between. Most of the top players will probably not come because they want to focus themselves at major events.
We have a 28 draw, which a great thing. It'll help our tournament to survive. Hopefully we going save some wild cards for the top players if they want to come.

Q. Have you convinced anyone special yet?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Couple players. I don't know if you seen, but Stepanek and Croats, like Ljubicic and Karlovic and players like Cañas. So we going to have a decent first year.

Q. Do you have an actual title at the event? Obviously not director.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Serbia Open, right?

Q. No, I mean you. Do you have a --
BENITO PEREZ: Top seed.

Q. Your uncle is the tournament director, right?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah.

Q. If you could be a super hero, which one would you be and why? What kind of super power would you like to have?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think it's unrealistic to look in that way. I wasn't really into that too much. I probably like to be invisible. Just sneak into the girls' locker room. That's one of the super powers.

Q. Why did you change the racquet brand this year?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I already played for a couple of years in my junior years, so I just basically went back to the old brand. So it wasn't really a -- it was a big change, a big responsibility for me, and quite risky in this period to change the most important tool in our sport.
But, look, I look forward to it. The guys did a good job, so I'm happy.

Q. Stepanek, he's not getting paid for it, but he plays with a racquet that's basically manufactured for him. Have you asked him about that at all?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. The only thing I know about him is that he played with my racquets his first match in Masters Cup.

 Posted: 28.03.09 12:21. Post subject: Q. If you could be a..

quote:

Q. If you could be a super hero, which one would you be and why? What kind of super power would you like to have? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think it's unrealistic to look in that way. I wasn't really into that too much. I probably like to be invisible. Just sneak into the girls' locker room. That's one of the super powers.

ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы дурачооооооооок

 Posted: 28.03.09 12:21. Post subject: Q. Stepanek, he'..

quote:

Q. Stepanek, he's not getting paid for it, but he plays with a racquet that's basically manufactured for him. Have you asked him about that at all? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. The only thing I know about him is that he played with my racquets his first match in Masters Cup.

Штепка тогда знатно бомжевал

 Posted: 28.03.09 16:05. Post subject: А вот и ответ на воп..

А вот и ответ на вопрос по поводу формы ноля:

Novak Djokovic's adidas Style Confirmed for Sony Ericsson Open and Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic is updating his look for the Sony Ericsson Open and Roland Garros. Like Ana Ivanovic, he's turned to a Miami perfect blue. Pictured here Djokovic wears the adidas Edge polo, $50 USD in pool, black and running white, ClimaCool fabric with full mesh back and sides for optimal cooling and ventilation. The special Djokovic inspired Falcon graphic sits on the back of the left shoulder.

Djokovic's shorts are the10" Men's Edge Bermuda, $50 in white and phantom. Drawcord waist and side seam pockets.

His shoes are the CC Genius, $130 in pool, black and running white. Low to the ground and well cushioned, carbon composite technology used in lateral strips in the upper give added forefoot support.

 Posted: 28.03.09 16:28. Post subject: Pilic resigns over S..

Pilic resigns over Srdjan Djokovic’s actions

Nikola Pilic, advisor to the Serbia Davis Cup tennis team, has stepped down as one of the directors of the Serbia Open ATP event, to take place in Belgrade 2 through 10 May this year.

The renowned tennis expert and the owner of Munich-based tennis academy refuses to take any further part in the organization of the $450,000 event in Serbia, while his decision has come as a reaction to come actions from Srdjan Djokovic.
- “A couple of weeks ago he held a press conference in Belgrade without previously consulting with me and spoke of things he has no place or capacity to talk about. After that I got into touch with the ATP and asked them to relieve me of my duty as tournament director,” Nikola Pilic spoke for Vecernji List.
The conflict between Pilic and Srdjan Djokovic should not affect the former’s role in the Serbia Davis Cup team.
- “Of course, this will not influence my cooperation with Novak Djokovic, with whom I still have a great relationship. He actually called me afterwards and apologized to me, saying he hadn’t known anything about it,” said Pilic.
Serbia has once again stumbled on the first step towards embarking on as complex a task as organizing an ATP event for the first time ever. However, one certainty is that the works at the Milan Gale Muskatirovic sports centre to host the Serbia Open 2009 are on schedule and, as the organizers assure, they will be completed within the deadline.
The format of the tournament is that there will be 28 players in the main draw, three of which will be awarded wild cards, while four will come through the qualifying round. Two further players will be handed the “special exempt” call-up. The doubles draw will include 16 pairs and the winners of this event will receive ?73,000 worth of prize money, together with 250 ATP points.

Здесь

 Posted: 29.03.09 15:54. Post subject: Novak Djokovic lifts..

Novak Djokovic lifts Serbian spirits

ON the evidence of form in 2009, Serbian tennis seems very much last year’s thing. While Ana Ivanovic is beginning to recapture her touch, Jelena Jankovic is distraught with her game and Novak Djokovic is looking to purge the memory of a defeat last week he damned as the worst of his career.

Djokovic, embarrassed by his performance against Andy Roddick at Indian Wells, was aware that a second early exit in Miami in as many years would provide a green light for Britain’s Andy Murray to accelerate past him and become the world No 3.

However, Djokovic enjoyed a timely resurgence to overcome the Niagara Falls-based Canadian Frank Dancevic with a display that suggested the near inept horrors of a week ago have been forgotten. Djokovic’s 6-3 6-2 win over the world No 117 meant he had escaped the same fate he suffered a year earlier against the big-serving South African Kevin Anderson. Murray must now win the title if he is to become the world’s third-ranked player.

A week’s introspection had clearly benefited Djokovic. “In most of my early matches this year I haven’t got the right rhythm,” he admitted. “Indian Wells was disappointing. Obviously I wasn’t focused enough. Everything happens for a reason and you always try to learn from your mistakes. I just need to be confident. This time concentration was the important key.” Djokovic next faces Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Life for Ivanovic has not been as testing as it has for Djokovic or indeed Jankovic, who in the past six weeks has suffered such galling early defeats in Dubai and Indian Wells that this week she fired her fitness coach Pat Etcheberry, who was an adviser to Pete Sampras and Justine Henin through their careers.

Playing late at night, Ivanovic seemed intent on still getting as much sleep as possible as she cruised through a 6-0 6-3 win over Ukrainian Mariya Koryttseva. “This tournament is a big challenge because last year I wasn’t consistent enough,” said the seventh seed. “I want to follow one good tournament with another.”

 Posted: 29.03.09 16:23. Post subject: 2009 Sony Ericsson O..

2009 Sony Ericsson Open - Nick’s Picks - Men’s Singles Round 3

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Mathieu beat the ever-dangerous Marcos Baghdatis in the second round in three sets and now has a much tougher task at hand with Djokovic. Mathieu spent time at the NBTA when he was in his early teens, and you will not find a nicer guy on the tour. In this match, he is going to have to forget about the pleasantries and take it to Djokovic from the get-go!

Djokovic, the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open champion, comes into this tournament with a 17-7 record on the year and a title in Dubai already under his belt. He is a crowd-pleaser, but he must stay focused at all times in this match because Mathieu has the talent to send him home.

Match-Up:
Djokovic is 3-1 against Mathieu, and has already beaten him once this year. They did meet in Miami back in 2006 and Djokovic won in straight sets. Mathieu has a killer forehand, a solid serve, but his backhand is neutral at best. In this match he is going to have to try and hit forehands as much as possible to keep Djokovic pinned back behind the baseline. He also cannot get frustrated and show any negative emotions because he had a tendency to do that at times.

Djokovic can do a little bit of everything. Both his forehand and backhand are weapons and his serve is definitely more powerful than Mathieu’s. What he has to do is stay away from the unforced errors, because Mathieu will not waste any opportunity he is given. I give Djokovic the edge, but this will be a very interesting match.
Nick’s Pick - Djokovic in 2, could go 3 if the unforced errors pile up!

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Robert Kendrick (USA)
Kendrick qualified for the tournament and has worked his way into the third round. He already has wins over Arnaud Clement and Robin Soderling. I have always been impressed by Kendrick’s game, but I think the one thing he needs to do more is come forward. This would put pressure on his opponents and really help his game.

Tsonga is one of my favorites to watch because of his intensity level and his competitiveness. He fights for every point and is a warrior out on the court. He is still trying to prove to everyone that he can play with the big boys, and this would be a good tournament to demonstrate that.

Match-Up:
This will be the first career match between Kendrick and Tsonga. For a big guy, Kendrick moves well, has solid groundstrokes and a great serve. The problem is, Tsonga does all of those things too, just better. For Kendrick to win, he is going to have to force the action throughout the match and force Tsonga into mistakes. As much as the American fans want that to happen, it is going to be difficult to do against this Frenchman.

Nick’s Pick - Tsonga in 2 sets

 Posted: 29.03.09 16:23. Post subject: Nick’s Pick - Djokov..

quote:

Nick’s Pick - Djokovic in 2, could go 3 if the unforced errors pile up!

 Posted: 31.03.09 16:53. Post subject: g Djokovic searching..

Djokovic searching for winning formula

Novak Djokovic is controversial, but he doesn't want to be.

The world No. 3 has a strong desire to be his sport's superior player, but he can't yet stomach everything that comes with it — to be in the spotlight every waking moment, good and bad.

In public, the 21-year-old Serbian can't be the funny guy anymore. There will be no more hilarious impressions of his friend Maria Sharapova's serve, of his rival Andy Roddick's twitches, and especially of his locker room nemesis Roger Federer flicking his hair or clapping his racket in celebration.

"I'm in the transition," Djokovic told FOXSports.com. "It's not easy because I'm very emotional. Some things really hurt me, and maybe I express myself a little bit too much — people didn't get used to that. But at the end of the day, you sit and think to yourself, 'I've reacted the way I felt that's right.' Maybe it's wrong, but you learn from your mistakes. That's why life is testing us all the time."

The third seed at this week's Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Djokovic has gone from being the tour's boy wonder after winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open to the most vulnerable member of the sport's so-called Big 4, which also includes Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Since winning his first major, Djokovic has been a trademark up-and-down player. After winning the 2008 Indian Wells title, he could surely claim the unofficial moniker of best player of the first quarter of last season, and the relentless baseliner looked like he might be prepared to knock Federer and Nadal out of the two top spots.

But then he began to wear down, partly due to the tremendous pressure he put on himself to snag the No. 1 ranking. A title run at the Rome Masters Series was followed by a brutal loss to Nadal at Roland Garros, which was followed by an upset at the hands of Marat Safin at Wimbledon. Then Nadal stepped on him again in a terrific Olympic semifinal.

Nearly spent but still determined, the Serbian reached the U.S. Open semifinals, but after confronting a vocal nighttime crowd after his quarterfinal victory over Roddick in the quarters, he didn't have the will to defeat Federer again and was buried.

Before his match against Djokovic, Roddick had been asked about his foe's latest injury. By that time, Djokovic had developed a reputation for retiring too frequently, and the American wondered in a joking manner if his foe might have the "bird flu or SARS."

The comments received tremendous publicity and got right back to Djokovic, who was enraged. After he won the quarterfinal, he went right at the crowd and boos reigned down upon him.

"Maybe the experience from the U.S. Open with Andy was something that I really didn't wish for and really didn't look for," Djokovic said. "But it hurt me. His comments hurt me in that moment, and it was a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, there was a lot at stake; it was the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, lot of emotions, lot of frustrations going on.

"At the end of the day, maybe if you could turn back things, maybe you wouldn't do something like that, but I just felt emotion in that moment."

Even before he won his first major, he was criticized for saying that the then untouchable Federer was vulnerable. His parents, father Srdjan and mother Dijana, were said to be too enthusiastic while watching their son courtside. Last year, an irritated Federer even hushed them during a match in Monte Carlo.

Then there were the impersonations, the wildly entertaining, near perfect ones that had the crowds in stitches. But some top players weren't pleased, especially Federer. And when Roger talks, people listen.

"It's not just players," Djokovic said. "It was a lot of speculation, and I just didn't like the fact that people thought I'm doing that to make fun of somebody. ... I don't blame anybody, but it's all in the circle of positive, and laughing and smiling and enjoying life.

"I don't want to do it more because I don't want to create unbalance and turn the people against me for no reason. I'm really in a good relationship with most of the players on tour. I'm an honest guy, I open up and I say what I need to say. And this is the philosophy of my life — be what you are."

Unfortunately, some other things were beyond his control. There was the conclusion of Djokovic's extraordinary Australian Open title run, which included a remarkable upset of Federer in the semifinals and beatdown of big Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.

A couple of hours after that match, Dijana was approached by FOXSports.com and, full of celebratory fervor, issued a line in reference to Federer that still haunts her son to this day: "The king is dead. Long live the new king."

When reminded of the comment, Novak spoke of his mom's honesty and openness. "I think you can see that in me as well. You can see the connection."

But outright honesty and a win-at-all-costs attitude can be costly, which is why Djokovic is still trying to fashion a personality that will allow him to be liked on court and off.

After the U.S. Open fiasco, Djokovic scraped for much of the fall, but he finally picked himself off the canvas and won the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Then came his Australian Open title defense and his body failed him miserably, as he retired in the quarters against Roddick due to heat exhaustion when many felt he should have been able to play on. He won the Dubai title, but last week at Indian Wells, he fell to Roddick again, admitting he played miserably.

At this point, going up against America's top player in the U.S. appears too much for him, not because Roddick has a larger skill set, but because Djokovic has essentially psyched himself out, thinking that crowd is out to get him.

Djokovic is certainly good enough to eventually grab the No. 1 ranking and win more Slams. He's a tremendous defensive player who is capable of going on the offensive when his foes least expect it. When his head is in matches, he's a master of point construction. He's extremely fast and sturdy and has improved his first serve and volleys a great deal.

But if he's unable to successfully negotiate a personal transition that he's comfortable with, he may never achieve his goals.

"Everybody is different," he said. "It depends from which part of the world you are coming. I've been through some things that people never will, probably. I came from a country which is going through a lot of tough times — wars. I'm going to say to myself, 'Look, maybe these things were meant to be, and these things help me know to appreciate the life much more. I know that being positive and enjoying the life is something that I think everybody wishes for."

 Posted: 31.03.09 16:58. Post subject: Хорошая статья. Гнус..

Хорошая статья. Гнус будь самим собой и не изменяй себе, за это мы тебя и любим

 Posted: 31.03.09 22:02. Post subject: Djokovic has a mount..

Djokovic has a mountain to climb after four losses to Tsonga

Miami - Novak Djokovic will aim to reverse a run of four consecutive defeats against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the pair meet in the quarter-finals of the Miami Masters. Third seed and 2007 champion Djokovic controlled Czech Tomas Berdych in an efficient 6-3, 6-2 victory on Tuesday, while Tsonga, seeded 10th, ousted compatriot Gilles Simon 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-2 in their fourth-round meeting.
Djokovic and Tsonga played the 2008 Australian Open final, which the 21-year-old Serb claimed as his only Grand Slam title. But in the 15 months since that meeting Tsonga has gotten plenty of revenge with ATP victories in Bangkok, Paris, Shanghai and Marseille.
"I have lost to him four times in a row, so he has a little advantage there," said the 20-7 Serb. "But all the matches were very close. It's going to be a challenge for me to win.
Djokovic broke Berdych five times as the Czech failed to capitalize after knocking out 13th seed James Blake in the previous round.
But the winner said that the scoreline was deceptive.
"Nothing is easy at this stage of the tournament. I'm playing a top 20 player, and a player who won against basically all top players in this moment.
"I was trying to stick with him all the time, because I knew he's very aggressive, but not really consistent from the baseline. He makes a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side, so I changed the pace and I played a really good tennis today."
Djokovic has been struggling for confidence after failing to defend his Melbourne Grand Slam title and so far winning only one title in Dubai in 2009.
His Miami victory marked his 10th at the event. "Wins are necessary to get the confidence, and this is what I'm getting lately. Luckily for me, I'm winning more matches then I'm losing.
"Winning Dubai and a couple matches at Indian Wells and here again, so far it's going well."
The French top 10 pair of Tsonga and Simon are now level at a win apiece after Tsonga's victory in two hours, 10 minutes, with nine aces and three breaks of serve.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/262403,djokovic-has-a-mountain-to-climb-after-four-losses-to-tsonga.html

 Posted: 01.04.09 08:01. Post subject: N. DJOKOVIC/T. Berdy..

N. DJOKOVIC/T. Berdych
6-3, 6-2


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Was it as easy as it looked, or not?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, look, nothing is easy in these stages of the tournament. I'm playing top 20 player, and a player who won against basically all top players in this moment, so it's never easy to play, on this surface especially.
So I was trying to stick with him all the time, because I knew he's very aggressive, but not really consistent from the baseline. He makes a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side, so I changed the pace and I played a really good tennis today.

Q. Is that what separates the top 10 from maybe the top 20, 25, the consistency? They all have the strokes, but it's just the consistency.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it's just the details, I think. It's just maybe mental calmness and confidence in certain moments, important moments in the match.

Q. The other day you were saying that you were looking for confidence, in fact, this year. Did you find it back, or you still need some more wins to be sure?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, wins are necessary to get the confidence, and this is what I'm getting lately. Luckily for me, I'm winning more matches then I'm losing. Winning the Dubai event and a couple matches at Indian Wells and here again, so far it's going well.
Hopefully I can continue this way.

Q. The next two, Simon or Tsonga, you've had great matches with both. They're two entirely different players. Talk about the challenge each match would present.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, big challenge for me. Certainly not a favorite in both of the matches I play, because they're great players. Simon has improved incredibly in the last five or six months. He's been playing very solid tennis from all sides. He's a very tricky player, because he makes you always play another extra shot.
On the other hand, I lost to Tsonga four times in a row, so he has a little advantage probably there. But, again, I think all the matches we played was very close. So if I play him, it's going to be a challenge for me to win.

Q. Have you found this a little bit of a strange year? Because a lot of people are talking about obviously Roger and Rafa, and then there's almost an assumption that one day soon Murray will be maybe No. 3, No, 2, No 1. Does that stiffen your resolve a little bit?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, I'm really happy that the people don't talk too much about me now. It releases pressure, and then I can really perform my best tennis. So I think it goes to my favor.

Q. You've kind of grown up with electronic line calling the last three years. Is it something you sort of take for granted now?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think I've been quite successful with that.

Q. You've been more successful than any other top player.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Really?

Q. Yeah.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's good. It's not that I have, I don't know, eye of the falcon or something. I just get that feeling. You know, probably I have a good eye, okay, good feeling for the ball.

Q. But does it seem like it's just part of the game now, it's integrated?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. I support it. Some players do; some don't. But I'm on the side of the players who really like it. I think it brings out entertainment for fans, and it's interesting.
On the other side, for the players, it gives them chance to overcome -- to overrule the first call, which is good.

Q. Are you going to bring it to the Serbian Open?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Hopefully -- yeah, well, money, money. We have clay, so that's a little bit different.

Q. The new racquet you have, you have mastered the feelings with the racquet, or you still have something to improve in the feelings you have with it?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: We're working on it, but I think we're -- it's not really 100%, but it's very close. I mean, I was working a lot on the racquet in last eight, nine months.
And it was hard decision for me to switch, but I did, and I suffered a little bit in the start of the season. More mentally than the real racquet because it's a hard switch, but now I'm really starting to get used to it much more.

Q. Can you explain the difference between the two?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Head racquet has a lot more I think swing weight and it's really fast. It's really fast.

Q. You've got the same amount of prize money as the women's event here, but it's configured in different ways. If you were to win, you're actually going to earn less than the women because the distribution is different. Are you happy with the way that the men's prize money is being distributed?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't want to go too deep about that. There's been a lot of talks about that. Look, I'm not paying attention on the women's tennis. This is something that's not in our hands.
What is in our hands you have to be concerned about, and that is to increase the prize money and really work on some things that we really deserve. I don't think it's fair to have equal prize money, that's for sure.

Q. I understand that a lot of players did like you, which is to have their early training outside of Serbia. Is that the current trend? If so, why?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's because of the lack of professional conditions in our country. We didn't have any tradition and any conditions which - or facilities - which would bring us and develop us to the professional waters of tennis. That's why we had to go different ways abroad.

Q. And now it's changing, or...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's changing.

Q. Are you confident that everything will be ready on time for your tournament? I saw some pictures, and...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no, no, don't worry. Everything will be on time. They are working on it since the start of this year. I mean, already two months working, and we gonna make a good impression.

Q. Talk Viktor Troicki, your countryman. We don't know much about him.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, he's playing fantastic in the last two events. He's a physically very strong guy. He's always been like that, even in juniors. He had a little issues with the groundstrokes, with the technique, but now he is improved. His forehand is much better, and his movement has always been very powerful for his height. So we can expect him to do well in the future.

Q. Have you helped him or mentored him in any way?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He's older. He knows.

 Posted: 01.04.09 08:08. Post subject: Q. Have you found th..

quote:

Q. Have you found this a little bit of a strange year? Because a lot of people are talking about obviously Roger and Rafa, and then there's almost an assumption that one day soon Murray will be maybe No. 3, No, 2, No 1. Does that stiffen your resolve a little bit? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, I'm really happy that the people don't talk too much about me now. It releases pressure, and then I can really perform my best tennis. So I think it goes to my favor.

я так и знала, давления мы не выдерживаем, правильно из кустов атаковать проще

 Posted: 01.04.09 08:16. Post subject: Q. You've kind o..

quote:

Q. You've kind of grown up with electronic line calling the last three years. Is it something you sort of take for granted now? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think I've been quite successful with that. Q. You've been more successful than any other top player. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Really? Q. Yeah. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's good. It's not that I have, I don't know, eye of the falcon or something. I just get that feeling. You know, probably I have a good eye, okay, good feeling for the ball.

дурище какое ыыыыыыыыыыыы
а еще у меня есть мега солоковская Вайда

 Posted: 01.04.09 08:20. Post subject: Q. The new racquet y..

quote:

Q. The new racquet you have, you have mastered the feelings with the racquet, or you still have something to improve in the feelings you have with it? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: We're working on it, but I think we're -- it's not really 100%, but it's very close. I mean, I was working a lot on the racquet in last eight, nine months. And it was hard decision for me to switch, but I did, and I suffered a little bit in the start of the season. More mentally than the real racquet because it's a hard switch, but now I'm really starting to get used to it much more. Q. Can you explain the difference between the two? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Head racquet has a lot more I think swing weight and it's really fast. It's really fast

ага.. вот откуда все-таки ноги растут. Тогда этим и ауты с фх объясними в принципе

 Posted: 02.04.09 08:16. Post subject: N. DJOKOVIC/J. Tsong..

N. DJOKOVIC/J. Tsonga
6-3, 6-4

Q. In terms of performances recently, where does that one rate given all circumstances and his record against you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I have to be very happy with today's performance, because I have been struggling to find a way to win against him in the last four encounters.
It was all so close, so I just knew that I need to stick in and, you know, try to wait for my chances and be aggressive. In the last couple of the matches we've played, I was just, for no reason, waiting for him to make the shots or the mistakes.
Today I think I tried to be closer to the line, more in control, and just put the pressure on him. So I think that's what I did. Overall, I'm really satisfied.

Q. How are you feeling? We got an announcement upstairs saying that you had to go into the doctor afterwards. How are you feeling?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, well, I've been not feeling well with the stomach last night and this morning, and probably the heat affected as well, combined of course with the pressure on the court and all these things.
But, look, it's just incredible the way I stood up and tried to survive there on the court. It was really important for me to win in the straight sets and to save those service games, because I was really lucky. I played some good shots.
He made some errors, but I was aggressive when I needed to be, and I was fortunate in the end.

Q. How important was your first break of serve? Because he hadn't lost his serve all tournament.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Uh-huh.

Q. Did you know that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, yeah. I have no idea. I haven't followed really that much his matches, but I knew that he has a big serve. I knew that it is going to be a key today if I can return a lot of serves back and try to make him play around the baseline. I trying to open up the court on his backhand side and then give myself opportunity to control the points.
So this is what I have done really well. I think I've read his serve quite well. First set he had a very low percentage of the first serves, which gave my more opportunity to attack.

Q. But your consistency off the ground today was extremely high. Is that probably what gave you the most pleasure?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I tried to step in. I knew that he loves hitting forehands. He loves returning around his backhand and just hitting those really powerful forehands that can do a lot of damage to opponent.
In the past couple of the matches we have played, it was really close. We played a lot of three-setters. Then he just suddenly, in the third set, you know, wakes up and brings his game to another level and just starts hitting the ball.
But it was, again, my mistake, because I was waiting and just trying to play a solid game from the baseline. But now I tried to step in and take the chances, and it paid off.

Q. You're regularly taking between 30 and 40 seconds between points today. Did the umpire at any point give you a sort of...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: So you looked at the time?

Q. I looked at the timing, and the supervisor was down on the court apparently as well.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Oh, yeah?

Q. Did the umpire say anything about it at all?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No.

Q. Was it because you weren't feeling that good?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know, really. I mean, look, I've had time warnings in the past. I'm not saying that I will not have more. If they give me time warning with a reason, if they, you know, let me know that I am slow and everything and then give me warning, I have no problems with it. I will accept it as, you know, something which is rule.
But it's on them, you know. I cannot tell to the umpire, Look, I'm slow. Can you give me a warning. (Laughter.)

Q. Sure. There just appear to be some inconsistencies. Rafa has been called this week for it. The rule is 25 seconds, isn't it?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I think today was very special conditions. If you get on the court and feel the heat and play a two-hour match you would understand why we are a little bit slow.

Q. I noticed you were bouncing the ball a lot again. Two years ago you were joking, and you said that the reason I bounce it so often is because I like to stay on court a little longer. There was then a period you sort of went back to normal bounces, and today I counted like 19 at a certain point.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, yeah, there were certain points I did quite a lot. But, you know, I don't do this on purpose really. This is something you can't explain.
I don't know, ask Rafa why he's taking his panties out of -- you know, this is just something that gets in your habit, and this is what I do, you know.

Q. Two years ago when you won you took off your shirt and you were very exuberant and we saw continuing that year the Djokovic who liked to perform for the crowd. You had your famous impersonations. Do you think you've become more subdued?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm less fun now?

BENITO PEREZ: You took it off today, didn't you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, but I lost my muscles obviously. They didn't like it much.
No, well, look, I don't think my personality is only impersonations, okay? I've done that. I'm glad that in my opinion most of the people liked it.
Look, my point was only to bring up a positive energy and laughs in the people, and that's exactly why I did it. I've been doing it for many years back, you know, not just now when I started having success.
I get more attention obviously with the success. But there were some, well, people and colleagues as well who didn't like what I do, so I just don't want to provoke some negative vibes, if you understand what I'm saying, and just try to do my job on the court.

Q. What things would you say that Tsonga could improve in his game to break through in a big match to the next level?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, he's got more or less all the shots. I mean, he's improved his backhand a lot. His backhand was for some time in the past a weaker point. But it's he's improving. He steps in more on the backhand, so it's better.
But, look, it's all a couple of points here and there. It's not a huge difference, especially in the important matches between the top players. Even today it was 6-3, 6-4, but, again, it was just couple of points that were deciding a winner.
So it's just a mental ability and if you stand up on the right leg.

Q. A few weeks from now Ana and Jelena are going to try to bring Serbia into the World Group with the Fed Cup. Now in this country, people don't pay attention to the Fed Cup. I have a feeling in Serbia people will be taking note. How big a deal would that be, World Group status?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's a big deal for Fed Cup and Davis Cup. For us, a small country, it's really unexplainable how much success we are getting in this sport in last two, three years. We get a lot of attention back in our country, which is a country of only, you know, eight, nine million people comparing to States and any other bigger countries. It's very small. But, again, we have a lot of success in the team sports, which we always have a long tradition in. But tennis, never. Serbia is, for the first time, you know, the country of Serbia in the World Group in the Davis Cup, it was last year.
Now we have a chance in the Fed Cup, which I think they deserve to be one of the best teams in the world. I mean, they're two great players.
So on the other side, I'm sure that they will have a lot of support and they going to get to the World Group.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about the two possible matchups in the semifinals, Federer or Roddick?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I've played them both. I played Roddick this year two times on hardcourts. I really played two bad matches. First one retired in the Australian Open, and second played a quite, quite bad match in Indian Wells.
So I really didn't give him a lot of -- you know, give him a lot of, you know, tough time on the court. He won quite easy in Indian Wells, so I have to change some things if I play him. He's a big server. We all know that he loves playing in the States, and this is where he makes his biggest results and impact.
On the other hand, Roger, there's not much to talk about him. He's so consistent on the major events. He's been so dominant the last couple of years. Tough, tough encounter against the both of them.

 Posted: 02.04.09 08:31. Post subject: Q. How are you feeli..

quote:

Q. How are you feeling? We got an announcement upstairs saying that you had to go into the doctor afterwards. How are you feeling? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, well, I've been not feeling well with the stomach last night and this morning, and probably the heat affected as well, combined of course with the pressure on the court and all these things. But, look, it's just incredible the way I stood up and tried to survive there on the court. It was really important for me to win in the straight sets and to save those service games, because I was really lucky. I played some good shots. He made some errors, but I was aggressive when I needed to be, and I was fortunate in the end.

бедный стёкший под кепкой гнус

 Posted: 02.04.09 08:32. Post subject: Q. I noticed you wer..

quote:

Q. I noticed you were bouncing the ball a lot again. Two years ago you were joking, and you said that the reason I bounce it so often is because I like to stay on court a little longer. There was then a period you sort of went back to normal bounces, and today I counted like 19 at a certain point. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, yeah, there were certain points I did quite a lot. But, you know, I don't do this on purpose really. This is something you can't explain. I don't know, ask Rafa why he's taking his panties out of -- you know, this is just something that gets in your habit, and this is what I do, you know.

ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы

 Posted: 02.04.09 10:19. Post subject: Джокер ловко выверну..

Джокер ловко вывернулся, на Рафу стрелки перевел, мол, у него привычка - всем привычкам привычка

Ты, Нолик, на других не сворачивай. Нечего уходить от ответственности

 Posted: 02.04.09 10:24. Post subject: хруня Прально сдела..

хруня
Прально сделал, он сказал, что это не объяснить, так что спросите Рафу, может он знает ответ

 Posted: 02.04.09 11:15. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие п..

Стихийное бедствие пишет:

quote:

спросите Рафу, может он знает ответ

Хитрые вы вместе со своим Гнусом... Можно подумать, что Рафу не спрашивали... Рафа только сказал, что надеется, что люди больше смотрят на то, как он играет, а не как... Ага!!!
А в Майами народ уже с плакатом сидит - типа, Рафа, оставь штаны в покое... Надеюсь, Рафа по-английски не читает...

 Posted: 02.04.09 11:21. Post subject: Ольга Коп Да, мы хи..

Ольга Коп
Да, мы хитрые и умело переводим стрелки, чтобы нам мозг не мыли, мы не любим прессинга, у нас очень ранимая гнусная натура и вообще мы болеем

 Posted: 02.04.09 15:14. Post subject: Q. Two years ago whe..

quote:

Q. Two years ago when you won you took off your shirt and you were very exuberant and we saw continuing that year the Djokovic who liked to perform for the crowd. You had your famous impersonations. Do you think you've become more subdued? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm less fun now? BENITO PEREZ: You took it off today, didn't you? (BTW, who is this guy?) NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, but I lost my muscles obviously. They didn't like it much.

 Posted: 04.04.09 00:55. Post subject: N. DJOKOVIC/R. Feder..

N. DJOKOVIC/R. Federer
3-6, 6-2, 6-3


Q. We're so used to seeing Roger keeping his emotions under control. What was your reaction when you saw him slam his racquet down?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, it's obvious frustration. I think he can answer better why he did it. I just tried to keep my focus. I was on a roll in this period of the match, so I just tried to continue on playing patiently and win the match.

Q. Were you pleased? Because you started a little shakily today. Took a wee bit of time to get into rhythm or confidence.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It did. We played quite a lot of the matches against each other. Mostly our matches were played on this surface, which is quite suitable to his game and my game, as well.
But I think -- I had the biggest success against him on hardcourts. I knew that, but I knew also that I was always starting the matches against him quite unpatiently [sic] and playing more than -- more aggressive than I needed to.
So that was the scenario in the first set today. Even though I served really well, high percentage of the first serve, I was quite nervous and making lost of unforced errors.
But then it changed. I was just playing smarter afterwards.

Q. Did you feel like in the second set there was a key game? I think it was 4-2, five breakpoints. Did you feel like that was the key to the match. Did you feel him unravel after that on the court?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I felt it. I felt that I have a game -- eve from the start of the match I felt I played well. But then in important moments, break balls, I just make some really uncharacteristic unforced errors.
As I said, later in the match it changed. I just waited more, being more patient and creating the opportunity to make a winner in the point and waiting for his unforced errors.
We kind of changed the roles. I think, yeah, on 3-2 second set it was a key game. Afterwards, I started playing much better.

Q. Is that a shock when you see a player like Roger Federer with his class and greatness give you just points on some of those forehands that he would never miss a few years ago?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, if you make him work - if you make anybody work on the court - it's normal that, you know, if he's not on the top of his level he starts making mistakes.
That's where you need to step it up and use the opportunity. That's what I did today: I returned really well and I always made him play another extra shot, which was important.

Q. Two days ago Roger said that he thought he had your game figured out. Do you think you surprised him a little today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I don't know. I just focused on my own game. We're pretty familiar with each other's game. I think there is no secrets. We played many times against each other, all the top players.
He tried to change the pace a lot on my backhand, and it was working in the first set. Then I started playing much better.

Q. He's been somewhat unpredictable lately. How does that change your attitude going into a match? Do you tend to want to sit back and see what he's doing, or go and play your game anyway?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I needed to adjust, and that was really necessary after the first set. It was obvious that I wasn't doing something right, and that he wasn't playing anything special.
He just wasn't playing anything really special. He was just playing really wisely and changing the pace and playing a lot of short slices on my backhand.
That's where he opened up the opportunity to make, you know, offensive shot. That's what it did. Afterwards, I was the one who was changing a lot of pace and I was playing a lot of spins and just waiting patiently.
So you always need to adjust in the match. You know, even though you prepare the tactics before, sometimes it doesn't got the way you imagined or planned it to be. You just have to change it in the match.

Q. Did you sense his frustration even before he mangled the racquet? Did you sense that the frustration was mounting from him?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. I mean, look, Roger really hides his emotion really well, you know, so it wasn't -- I wasn't thinking about him and what he thinks in his head and the way he's playing. I just tried to focus on my game, because I know that I have enough quality to win against him.
I just need to play my game and be more aggressive and more patient in the certain moments. That was all.

Q. Just considering the conditions were quite gusty, did you feel like he was pressing more? You said you were the more patient player. Did you feel like you managed the conditions better than he did?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I guess so. You know, it wasn't easy for both of us, that's for sure. You know, playing in the windy conditions it's never easy. Plus the sun getting straight to your visibility when you're tossing the ball to one side about 1:00, 2:00 p.m.
There are a lot of side factors, but it's the same for both of us. We can't pay attention too much on that. You just have to play your game and try to win.

Q. What about the chance to win this tournament after maybe a bit of a slow start on the season. Talk about that.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I play -- I think I play on a much higher level these days and I'm playing with more confidence and self-belief. Hopefully I can continue that in the upcoming match.

Q. Can you assess your chances against Del Potro or Andy? You've played them both.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I did. I love the last two times against Andy. It was close matches. All our matches were pretty close. But he drastically improved in the last year or so.
But whoever I play, I mean, it's going to be interesting to see who wins from both of them. Even they played a lot of close matches.
But it's a final. Everybody has a lot of motivation to win, and it's a big event. It's really unpredictable.

Q. Did you sea Rafa's match the other night?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I seen a little bit.

Q. Any thoughts on that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I think Juan Martin played really well and aggressive. He took his chances. He was -- he was brave in the moments he needed to be.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about coping being away from home for so long? Obviously you got your team here and other great Serbian players and the fans wherever you go. Is there anything about home that you miss, such as food, music...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's for sure.

Q. What do you like to have, and do you get to have any on the road when you travel?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Now it's better with the food because my mother is here. I can have Serbian cuisine back in the hotel. But you always miss home, I think. You're traveling so much. There are many things.
I was born and grew up there, and I love to be there around my people speaking my language. It's all nostalgy [sic] for your country. But you have to get used to it. I got used to it.
I don't live that often in Belgrade as I do in Monte-Carlo. That's where I'm based now. This is just my life. This is what I've chosen to do.

Q. I think there are two Serbian restaurants in New York City. When you were at the US Open, did they invite you? Have you been there?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, actually not. I'll make sure I visit them.

Q. You talked about Andy's drastic improvement. Do you think it's a mental thing for him? Has he made changes in his game in terms of shot-making?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think many things combined. But physically-wise he's a much stronger and a lot of endurance out on the court. Even though he doesn't look like he's all boost up in him when he plays the match, he doesn't have that body language, but he's strong and has bigger muscles and runs all over the court. I get the feeling he can run a lot.
And he changes the pace a lot. Has is a smart, smart player who doesn't have any huge weapons, but again very solid from all the strokes.

Q. For a long time Roger Federer's forehand was considered the best shot he had, which is saying a lot. But you're not afraid to play him in long rallies to his forehand. You don't mind that forehand battle. Doesn't that change the psychology now when you play him?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: As I was saying before, it's all about adjustment throughout the match. He played really solid in the first set, but then he started to make a big amount of the unforced errors from that side.
So I tried to change pace and play fast and, then play a bit slower with the more spin. So more variety, as I can say, because he usually expects a ball on the backhand side, because that's where the players try to him.
But, you know, that's -- I think my game was all about today was I'm not giving him any consistency in one side so he can really be comfortable there.
So I think I played well.

Q. You've been No. 3 for almost two, three years. Do you feel like No. 2 is within reach?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think one match changes my ranking. But, yeah, there is a lot of time still in front. I'm still No. 3.

 Posted: 04.04.09 01:10. Post subject: Q. What do you like ..

quote:

Q. What do you like to have, and do you get to have any on the road when you travel? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Now it's better with the food because my mother is here. I can have Serbian cuisine back in the hotel.

Мамочка кормит сыночку ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы наконец-то!!! бедный гнус соскучился по нормальной еде

 Posted: 04.04.09 12:07. Post subject: Shakira to bring Nov..

Shakira to bring Novak luck in Miami

Serbia’s finest tennis player Novak Djokovic has qualified for the quarter-finals of the combined event in Miami. After an outstanding performance Novak beat Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-2, while only a day prior to the clash Djokovic had a chance to meet pop star Shakira.

The world’s number three began the encounter in style as he broke Berdych in the third game. That was enough for Djokovic to claim the opening set, keeping his serve games. Novak took another break in the ninth game to seize the set 6-3.
Berdych tried to regroup and fight back in the second set, and the Czech broke Djokovic in the third game but his lead was short-lived. Djokovic rebroke and tied the score to 2-2 and from then on continued his reign on the court. He won the following four games and eased his way into the final eight of the $9m tournament.
Djokovic will have to dispose of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Gilles Simon 6-7 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round. The Serb has lost four consecutive head-to-head encounters to Tsonga.
As for Shakira, the Colombian pop star has been watching tennis matches in Miami for the past couple of days. What strikes as interesting is that she has not watched any matches of the women’s event, while on Monday Shakira had a chance to meet Novak Djokovic personally.
After Novak’s win over Paul-Henri Mathieu, Shakira was backstage and had a moment to chat with the players. She praised Djokovic’s performance against Mathieu, while the Serbian was obviously honoured to meet the music star.
Shakira seems to have been most impressed by Spanish players. Feliciano Lopez posed for a photograph with her, while Rafael Nadal gave her a T-shirt. Shakira also proved she was an ardent fan of the Spanish game, having watched Nadal’s match against Frederico Gil.
- “It’s great to finally get to meet the guys I only used to watch on TV. To be honest, I was hoping I would get a chance to meet Nadal back in Abu Dhabi. He is a great person. Away from the tennis court he is a bit shy and quiet, while on it he is a real animal,” said Shakira.
The Miami tournament officials are in eager anticipation of a clash between Serena and Venus Williams, which is on the horizon in the semi-final. The Americans, who reside in a place not too far from where the event takes place, are both through to the quarter-finals and are once again hot favourites to continue their Miami domination, having won eight trophies in the last 11 years.

 Posted: 06.04.09 08:05. Post subject: A. MURRAY/N. Djokovi..

A. MURRAY/N. Djokovic
6-2, 7-5

Q. Obviously a tough match. At first it seemed like Andy was really on and you were off. His passing shots were really tough. What was the most difficult thing you had out there to deal with?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yet again, I was, I think, the biggest enemy to myself. I was struggling again and adjusting to the heat.
But I was really unpatient on the start. Made a huge number of unforced errors, and he was just playing very solid and waiting for his chances and serving quite well, moving all over the court quite good.
Then I managed to come back second set. I didn't play smart on the 5-3. I had two set points, and I could have served a bit better.
I just, you know, got opportunities to get into the rally, but I haven't, you know. He made some good returns on the first set point. On the other set point, double fault.
You know, generally, I'm not really satisfied with the way I played today. I played towards the end of the second set -- throughout the whole second set I played good. Played much better. But then I had to use those opportunities. Then who knows what happens third set.

Q. You are you concerned about your problems with the heat? I mean, it shouldn't be happening to an athlete like yourself.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I know. That's just the way it is. I can't fight it.

Q. Is that why you called the trainer?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah.

Q. Trouble breathing again?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No.

Q. Did you do medical examination for your abilities to stay in the heat?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I can't do medical examination for the heat. I mean, only place you can do is Sahara. I can just go there and just examine myself. I'm doing it in the closed area with the air conditioning, and it's not really good example.

Q. You know the first player, Pete Sampras, had the problem with the heat, and he had some kind of anemia.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I hope I don't have nothing. It's been for a while like this.

Q. Talk about Andy Murray. You mentioned the other day how much he's improved from a year ago to now. What's the difference?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think physically he's moving much better all over the court. The balls he wasn't getting before he is now.
The switch of defensive to offensive tennis in the points, he has really good, one of the best in the world. I think that makes him a much better player than he used to be.

Q. Particularly his defensive backhand. He turns that into offense so quickly. Do you feel like you had good position at the net on some of those?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think I played volleys quite well, but he was managing to find a little space to pass me. He just made a good passing shot. You have to say, Well done. I was positioning myself as best as I can.
But, again, I'm saying I should have played tactic a little bit different in the start of the match. I was too much aggressive, too many unforced errors.

Q. You felt poorly very early in the match?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Obviously television is a factor, but do you think it's right to play in the hottest time of the day?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You know, you can fight it all your life, but this is just the way it is. You know, it's not just players, it's tournament, it's sponsors, television. A lot of things involved, as you know.

Q. Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe your family owns a new tournament in Belgrade.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. Does that put a lot of pressure on you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. Actually, I'm very happy about it. I'm proud. After couple of years of big success for our country, I think we absolutely deserve to have an event back in Serbia.
I'm happy that my family is directly involved in it. We are working hard already on the site for five, six months already. It's rebuilt absolutely from the start.
It's a new site, new courts. It's going to be nice weather. Hopefully we can make a good impression.

Q. You sort of already answered this, but how pleased were you with your volleying, and have you been working on that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I was happy. There was a couple things I was happy about today. A volley, here and there a forehand return, but overall, I should -- I think I should use it more, because I have quite good groundstrokes and I'm able to, you know, finish of the point much earlier than I need to and spend less energy. It was quite good today.

Q. Have you been working on this a lot?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, yes.
Q. Do you think the volley will make a comeback?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Comeback in what sense?

Q. We've seen so much baseline, baseline, baseline. We're getting dizzy.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I know. But it has changed since last 15 years. You don't have any more serve and volley players like Becker.

Q. Are you bringing it back?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I cannot be serve and volley player ever. I can make a little variety for your pleasure. (Laughter.)

Q. Which one of the clay court tournaments will you play at? Belgrade and...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes. If Belgrade offers good money I'll play in Belgrade. I'm going to play Monte-Carlo, Rome, Belgrade, Madrid, and I'll skip French Open. No, I'm joking. дурачок

Q. What did you do to train in the off-season?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I had -- I always like to the mountains for about ten days. I grew up on the mountain, and the air is really good. You get lost of oxygen.
I went for a mountain, and then a couple weeks in Monte-Carlo.

Q. Where was the mountain?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: In Austria.

 Posted: 06.04.09 11:16. Post subject: Q. We've seen so..

quote:

Q. We've seen so much baseline, baseline, baseline. We're getting dizzy. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I know. But it has changed since last 15 years. You don't have any more serve and volley players like Becker. Q. Are you bringing it back? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I cannot be serve and volley player ever. I can make a little variety for your pleasure.

Ыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыыы, дурачооооооок, но наконец-то мы дождались от него serve & volley, я была бесконечно рада это лицезреть

 Posted: 07.04.09 08:29. Post subject: The Asphalt Couch Ma..

The Asphalt Couch
Many of you may recall my No Djoke post of March, 2007, which represents my first close look at Novak Djokovic, and ended with the question, is he The Perfect Player?. It was, of course, a rhetorical question intended to create discussion (which it did). But I must say I was genuinely blown-away by young Novak's game. As many of you know, the game I most admire is a game in which significant power is delivered in as smooth and streamlined a way as possible. Clean is good. Simple is good. The less moving parts a guy (or girl) has, the better I like it. A backhand doesn't need interesting bits, A forehand doesn't benefit from exaggeration, or flourishes. It's a tennis stroke, not a violin concerto.

But somehow, that elegance (for not everything simple is elegant, but something elegant is almost always simple) vanished from Djokovic's game at around the time he won the Australian Open in 2008, or maybe it never was quite the way I experienced and described it back in the desert in '07. And over the past few months, I've watched the guy and repeatedly asked myself: Can he really be moving and playing so differently - is it even possible? Suddenly, that wonderful marriage of efficiency and execution that adds up to an irresistible aura of purposefulness - that sense Djokovic always made the right decision, and executed it with a lethal lack of fuss or complication - was gone.

Suddenly, it seemed, the moving parts were becoming far more obvious. Where once he looked resilient, he now looked hinged. There was a flying elbow here, a too-prodigious backswing there, and kind of loose-jointedness I'd not seen before in Djokovic's disciplined, economical game. He seemed more willing to engage in aimless rallying, taking a big cut at the ball because he could, or because the other guy did, and Novak decided to go him one better..That glorious instinct for advancing the plot seemed to have dimmed. When I watched his torso at work, I was less struck by the easy, exquisitely timed rotation than those arms and that racket windmilling around. He'd been a jet, now he was a helicopter. I exaggerate to make my point.

I honestly confess I have no idea to what degree these perceptions were reality-based; on the other hand, they grew out of watching a real guy playing real matches, not my imagination. Yesterday's final in Miami, in which Andy Murray crushed Djokovic, left me feeling that I wasn't entirely off the mark. Because there were times in the match, mainly in the early parts of the second set, when the old Perfect Player seemed to emerge from hiding. That Djokovic, having found his long lost friend, didn't cling to his coattails and make more of a match of it was disturbing. And that was my big take-away from the final. Somewhere along the way Djokovic had wandered off message, and perhaps so far that he no longer knows what that message is. And now he's paying the price.

The switch to a new racket certainly accelerated that process, if indeed that's what's going on. Feeling the pressure of having to "protect" something (a title, a ranking, a reputation) probably factored into it, too. The psychology of defending is different from that of attacking, and it carries an enormous temptation to sit back and wait, to focus too much on repelling and not enough on pre-empting. Remember, it was Pete Sampras who said that the toughest job in tennis is defending a major title. You need to behave like the man to beat, but resting on your laurels and just challenging rivals to take their best shot is too passive an approach. The sheer number of hours Djokovic has logged on the court may come into it as well. It's probably easy to lose your sense of purpose when you know that just going through the motions is good enough to get you quarters and semis most anywhere.

I didn't get a chance to attend the press conferences: I listened to them beneath headphones in the press room as I wrote my analysis for Tennis.com. But I was certain someone would have asked the question I had, and what to me was - by far - the most pertinent question of the day: Is this guy (Murray) in your head?. Well nobody did. To me, though, the evidence was pretty compelling - Murray is 3-0 vs. Djokovic in their most recent meetings. And, as my report for Tennis.com suggested, that ragged and sloppy start, combined with the way Djokovic rolled over after briefly finding his game in set 2, to be broken in an atrociously played and hugely significant game at 5-5, was nothing short of startling. This is a Grand Slam champ we're talking about - something even red-hot Andy Murray can't claim.

But having slept on it, I think there's an even larger and more pertinent question to ask: Has Djokovic lost his way? Has he drifted away from his best game, like an improperly moored boat slowly moving out with the tide until suddenly the land is no longer visible? It can happen. All kinds of things can happen - just look at Guillermo Coria. The ability to stay on top of your game, and do the things and make the decisions that keep you there, is a specific talent. It's possible to have a great game without knowing it, and to ride it to glory. It's also possible to get bucked off, if you get a little lazy or sloppy. Still without knowing it, despite the painful experience.

If I were Djokovic, I would watch this final over and over, no matter how painful it may be, because it seemed so graphically to illustrate why he's had trouble getting traction this year. The shift from defensive to offensive tennis, the failure to finish the job those suddenly successful attacks started, the attempts to go for too much, alternating with bouts of indecision and uncertainty - they were all telling. Plus, you know Murray - he's the tennis shrink who lays a guy down on the asphalt couch and asks him all the tough and uncomfortable questions about his game. He ought to charge his opponents by the hour. Too bad most guys probably don't have the stomach (or is it humility?) to ask if he'd burn them a DVD to take home with them, so they could study it.

But that's just what Djokovic should do. It's unusual for a Grand Slam champion to find himself in these straits so soon after vaulting onto the big stage. But remember, this guy has an awful lot going on, starting with his role and obligations as a Serbian icon - a personage in a culture with a very powerful and deep hunger for recognition, and enormous, volatile passions. He's got a complicated life, which is all the more reason for him to re-discover the uncomplicated game that was once elegant as well as efficient.

 Posted: 08.04.09 08:55. Post subject: Taking stock of men&..

Taking stock of men's players
What if there were a stock exchange for tennis players? The start of the 2009 season would have produced wild gyrations, week-to-week uncertainty and only a few standouts amid the sliding prospects … a lot like the real financial markets, in fact.

With the first quarter in the books, here's a look at how the players rate going into the clay season.

Rafael Nadal: BUY

Forget the Big Four; there's only one giant in men's tennis at the moment.

Nadal has managed to exceed the high expectations surrounding him this season, winning his first hard-court major at the Australian Open and following up with a title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. It's the strongest start he's ever had, with his favorite part of the year still ahead.

There's only one nagging question: With all the energy he's expended, does he now have enough left to complete his usual sweep of the clay circuit?

On the one hand: yes, he really is that good. On the other, the 22-year-old Spaniard has also set up an unrealistic schedule for himself, committing to events at Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid and, of course, the French Open. That's a grueling eight-week stretch with only two weeks of rest built in, so the likelihood of the odd loss or pullout is perhaps greater than in the past.

Overall, though, there's no one capable of regularly outperforming him on the dirt. His biggest challenge will be the bar he has set for himself in the past few years. Nadal actually feels his past successes have taken pressure off him by providing a hedge against any future letdowns.

It's a wise attitude, and should serve him well when he sets out to try to win a record five straight French Opens. That would surely establish him alongside, or above, Bjorn Borg as the greatest clay-court player in history, and send his stock soaring.

Roger Federer: SELL

It was the racket smash heard around the world, the perfect punctuation to Federer's current struggles. But by sending his frame hurtling to the ground against Novak Djokovic in the Sony Ericsson Open semifinals last week, at least Federer showed that he, too, knows something is wrong.

Having been the tour's best blue-chip performer and a model citizen over the past five years, Federer has arguably earned the right to have a lapse or even throw a racket without having to face an international inquisition.

More dangerous indicators are the nature of his losses -- he has dropped the deciding set against his three biggest rivals in the three biggest tournaments so far this year -- and his refusal to acknowledge that a pattern is now developing.

Both indicate that the current problem is mental. On the court, Federer's game has broken down at critical times in ways that suggest a little hesitation or self-doubt as he tries to grab control of a point, causing him to be a fraction late. Off the court, he appears to be taking each loss extremely hard, and the cumulative emotional toll might make it harder to bounce back.

Falling from such dizzy heights can be disorienting. Maybe it's time for the words of a fellow racket-smasher, Goran Ivanisevic: "Sometimes when you are winning too much, you think you should never lose again. I am learning to lose."

Federer will get through this learning process at some point, but things could get worse before they get better.

Novak Djokovic: HOLD

Only his run to the Miami final last week keeps Djokovic out of the SELL column. Victory over a depleted field in Dubai doesn't offset the quarterfinal defeats to Andy Roddick at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, and even Djokovic's performances last week were mixed. He tottered badly toward the end of his match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and failed to show up in the first set against Federer. And despite a late charge in the second set, he was thoroughly dominated by Andy Murray in the final.

His repeated problems in the heat this year are a definite concern, but if it's a simply a temperature issue and his fitness isn't at fault, the European spring weather might not bother him too much.

There'll be a lot happening around Djokovic during the next few weeks: First, Murray is looking almost certain to snatch away the Serb's No. 3 spot before the French Open. Then there are also the preparations for Djokovic's family-owned tournament in Belgrade, around which there has already been a bit of conflict.

That adds even more weight to his already-sagging shoulders, but if things go well there, it might help him going forward.

Andy Murray: BUY

His 26-2 win-loss record is the best on tour this year, and the only thing to find fault with is the timing of one of those losses. A combination of illness and Fernando Verdasco sent Murray out of the Australian Open in the fourth round. Other than that, he's been close to perfect: titles in Doha, Rotterdam and Miami, with only a pullout at Dubai and a loss to Nadal in the Indian Wells final in between.

In theory, Murray's game is well-suited to dirt, but his belief is lacking. He says his goal for the clay season is simply to "try and reach the quarterfinals of one of the big tournaments."

But despite the modest words, he's aware of the opportunity this part of the year provides. Djokovic will have to outperform Murray by over 2,000 ranking points if he wants to prevent the Scot from reaching No. 3 (which would be the highest-ever ranking held by a British player). And Murray is looking even farther ahead in his calculations. "If you got rid of the clay-court season's points, I think I would be very close to Roger, and not too far behind Rafa," he mused after winning in Miami over the weekend.

Two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja will also be returning to the Murray team for the clay swing. There's every chance Murray could make a good run in the next few weeks and keep closing the gap with Federer and Nadal.

Juan Martin del Potro: BUY

He has started the year solidly, and a clutch three-set win in Miami against his idol Nadal has the potential to be a career-changer. He also did well to challenge Murray in their semifinal meeting the day after his marathon with Nadal, but the erratic performance was a sign that he's not yet as consistent as he needs to be to reach the top of the game.

He's now ranked a career-high No. 5, and though he's a long way behind No. 4, it's an impressive achievement for a 20-year-old. Del Potro insists hard courts are his favorite surface, but he won back-to-back clay events after Wimbledon last year and has few problems on the surface.

Last year, he was stalled by injury during this period of the season. This year looks much more promising.
Andy Roddick: HOLD
He has come up short against Federer and Nadal, but Roddick has otherwise had a solid first quarter, going 26-5 to start the year. That's the good news.

The bad news is that those numbers probably won't be moving in a positive direction for most of the second quarter.

With his wedding around the corner, it doesn't look like Roddick is putting much focus on the clay season this year. Still, anything he does on the dirt is gravy, and his stock should rise again when the grass rolls around.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: HOLD

Tsonga made a good if not great start to the year in winning in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Marseille, France, and producing a respectable quarterfinal result at the Australian Open. But he was extremely disappointed by France's first-round loss to the Czech Republic in Davis Cup and seems to still be searching for a little inspiration.

Injuries are always a threat and his game is not best suited to clay, which makes it hard to predict great things for the next few weeks. But if the charismatic Frenchman arrives at the French Open fully fit, the home crowd could inspire him to make a run.

Fernando Verdasco: HOLD

Injuries have held Verdasco back after his excellent run at the Australian Open, but the Spaniard should still be able to maintain his elevated form for the next few months. Hard courts have historically been better for him than clay, but it'll be interesting to see how he does at his hometown event in Madrid, where he'll be feted like a hero.

James Blake: SELL

It's been a disappointing first quarter for the 29-year-old American, with only one win over a top-30 player. Blake admits it's getting harder to recover physically from matches, and he hasn't won two in a row since early February. He did reach a quarterfinal in Rome last year, but his current inconsistency makes it hard to see a repeat of that. Even when the tour returns to grass and hard courts, it'll be a big challenge for him to get back into the top 10.

Sam Querrey: HOLD

Like Blake, Querrey produced an unexpected quarterfinal result on clay last year, reaching the final eight in Monte Carlo. Unlike Blake, however, Querrey is still on the upswing and even prefers clay to grass.

The odds are against making another shock quarterfinal, but the 21-year-old has really solidified his game over the past year and still has some upside.

Kamakshi Tandon is a freelance tennis writer for ESPN.com.

 Posted: 08.04.09 08:59. Post subject: Quarterly Report Th..

Quarterly Report

The tennis season is long, but like anything else that doesn’t involve your own daily 9 to 5 labor, it passes with disconcerting speed—“Time is a jet plane,” Bob Dylan sang, “it moves too fast.” Maybe it’s the scattershot, peak-and-valley nature of the early-year schedule—massive tournament to start, nothing for a month, followed by two big events in rapid-fire succession—that catches us off guard. We’re not worn down by weekly results yet. By the time the players get to Europe and that grind begins in earnest, a quarter of the year—one Slam, two Masters/Premier events, a round of Davis and Fed Cup—is gone.

With that in mind, the time seems right to take stock of how the game and its players have measured up to expectations so far in 2009.

Victoria Azarenka

Just when it appeared as if the WTA would never give us another girl with the fortitude and irrational desire to be a champion, we get this 19-year-old Belarusian beanpole. Granted, Serena was hurt in the Key Biscayne final, and Azarenka did throw in a couple of anxiety-ridden double faults when she was trying to serve out the match. But instead of panicking when things go wrong, she gets mad and tries her best to figure out how to fix the problem. And if I don’t love the bird-like whoo-ooo she makes when she swings, I do like the swings themselves, especially the graceful punch she gives the ball on her backhand side. A

Juan-Martin del Potro

The gently brooding giant has bounced back nicely after his Davis Cup debacle last winter. He won in Auckland to start the year and reached his second Slam quarterfinal in Melbourne. While he suffered an embarrassing two-bagel loss to Federer there, del Potro bounced back again to make a Masters semi in Key Biscayne. Biggest of all, he recorded his first win in 14 attempts over one of the Big 4 when he came back to beat Nadal in Miami. That’s important—he had looked utterly lost and overwhelmed against the top guys until then. DP's development, after last year’s breakthrough, remains on track. He may take his losses hard, but he can forget them. A-

Novak Djokovic

We learn more and more about the wacky Serb every few weeks. When we first met him, he was quick to call it a day if events weren’t proceeding in a manner that favored him. Then he was serene and sure of his destiny to become No. 1. Then, when destiny was derailed, he was a ball of frustration ready to immolate itself at the first sign of trouble. Now, he’s starting to seem like a guy who can throw in an unmitigated clunker one week—see his dismal Indian Wells quarterfinal loss to Roddick—and bounce back a week later to beat Tsonga and Federer and make a Masters final. Djokovic lets his anger get the best of him, but he lets his pride pick him back up. Do you have any idea what he’ll show us next? I don’t. But I want to find out. B

Roger Federer

From a performance point of view, you’d have to say this is his worst start since he became No. 1 in 2004. At least last year he had a debilitating illness as an excuse. While Federer still knows how to work the majors, he looks more and more lost at the Masters events. Watching him self-destruct against Murray in Indian Wells, I began to think that his version of tennis artistry, defined by a 0-to-60-in-two-seconds-flat transition game, was looking a little dated compared to Murray’s side-to-side, slice-and-scramble approach.

But from an emotional standpoint, Federer has been the most compelling figure in tennis. He provided, to his chagrin, the signature moment of the year by bawling in Melbourne, and then he made our jaws drop with his stoically savage destruction of his racquet in Key Biscayne—it was like watching a magician destroy his wand. None of this should surprise us: Tennis players, whatever their outer selves communicate, are deeply emotional. Why wouldn’t Federer, the best tennis player, have the deepest emotions of all? B+

Indian Wells/Key Biscayne

These tournaments offered plenty to the fan willing to (a) attend one or both of them; and (b) seek out and stick with FSN as it stumbled its way toward covering both events. But for someone tuning into the semis and finals on the weekend, both tournaments left a lot to be desired. Federer was entertaining and revealing in one sense, but only in a negative way. The two women’s finals were ruined by wind and injury, respectively, while the two men’s finals were uninspired and only marginally competitive. What would the casual viewer of Key Biscayne have made of a Saturday spent watching Serena hobble and a Sunday spent watching Djokovic narrowly avert heat exhaustion? And as much as I like Murray’s style, I can’t view it as a good sign for the game that he won more matches than anyone by taking fewer risks then ever. C+

Ana Ivanovic

I know she says she’s happy with her new coach and back on track with her attacking game. And I hope it’s true. But even in her run to the Indian Wells final, Ivanovic was excessively up and down, not just from match to match, but from game to game. As of now, her confidence can still be blown away in the desert wind. B-

Jelena Jankovic

Poor JJ. Is her sudden and precipitous decline a product, like she says, of overtraining? Or is it an inevitable market correction for a woman who never belonged at No. 1 in the first place? Now that’s she fired her in-house fitness guru, Pat Etcheberry—he may have neglected to consider the finer points of Jankovic’s finesse game before trying to add 10 pounds of muscle to her—we’ll find out. JJ has bounced back from worse slumps before; but she wasn’t 24 then. D

Andy Murray

When did the game’s resident miserable brat become its most upstanding citizen? While Federer was smashing, Djokovic was staggering, and Nadal was blowing a seemingly insurmountable lead, No. 4 kept his head and body intact and left the U.S. with the best overall record of any player who was in Indian Wells and Key Biscayne. On a small scale, he weathered bad patches of play against Monaco and Djokovic with just the barest amount of testiness, before quickly reasserting his low-key control over both matches. Whether it’s a match or the season at large, he’s clearly thinking long term. My only reservation, as I said earlier, is that he has found a way to win that requires minimal risk. Good for him, but potentially bad for us. Murray has the variety to do much more, and eventually we’re going to want to see him use it again. A

Rafael Nadal

He’s extended his turf while tightening his grip on the top spot. As the champion in Melbourne and Indian Wells, Nadal is now the favorite to win any hard court tournament he plays. You might chalk this up to the sport's long-running move toward slower surfaces. But I’m going to chalk it up to Nadal’s dogged expansion of his own game. By now, his rallies can consist of anything—drop shots, low chips, stealthy forays to the net, exclamatory overheads, and, of course, the meat and potatoes, uncannily accurate topspin drives. There’s something for any tennis fan to like, which is no more and no less than what we want from the new face of the sport. Rafa is taking No. 1 in stride; he’s comfortable there without acting entitled about it. Why would we have expected anything else? A+

Andy Roddick

Like Murray but unlike Nadal, Roddick has assessed the modern game and found that less is more. Fewer risks, more balls in play, lots of running, and a big serve to back it all up is the recipe du jour. And as it is for Murray, it’s a winning recipe for Roddick, but it may not taste all that good to us in the long run. Roddick has won a lot of matches in 2009, but I’ve enjoyed watching him most during the few games where he let his strokes fly—à la 2003—against Federer in Key Biscayne. Of course, he lost that one, so chances are we won’t see it again. He's gotten too smart for that. A-

Dinara Safina

I like her story, her personality, her persistence, her intensity, her emotion, her mid-career surge— everything, in other words, other than actually watching her play. I’ve tried, but at Indian Wells and Key Biscayne Safina's game looked very labored, as if she and her strokes and especially her serve just didn’t want to be out there. I want to see more from a player who is at least nominally fighting to become No. 1 for the first time. B

Serena Williams

With her 10th Slam coming a full decade after her first, you might say this is a time to celebrate Serena, her longevity, and her apparently effortless dominance. And it is. There are many things to enjoy in Serena’s game—the coolly lethal serve, the exemplary racquet extension, the indomitable fight. It’s just that when I turned on the TV to watch her in Key Biscayne, I didn’t see those things. I saw her spraying shots, slumping her shoulders, acting like she couldn’t believe this was all happening to her, and standing still and hitting all-or-nothing shots because she had suffered another injury. The physical problems may not be her fault, and the erratic play and flamboyant frustration can be filed away in the “Serena being Serena” department—that’s just how she is sometimes. But when you’ve seen her focused and at her best, the way she was for most of the U.S. and Aussie Open finals, this version of her isn’t much fun to watch. I hope she gets better in all ways for the rest of the year.

 Posted: 08.04.09 20:33. Post subject: Up Close with ... No..

Up Close with ... Novak Djokovic
The Sportskids interview Novak Djokovic
Tennis star Novak Djokovic is interviewed by the Sportskids at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Posted on Sunday, 04.05.09
For the Miami Herald

Editor's note: Neuman brothers Danny and Pacey, both 13, and Mikey, 15, are sports fanatics and Miami Beach locals, who interview a different professional athlete each month and Sports Scene features their Q&As. Visit www.CBS4.com/sportskids and www.youtube.com/sportsbrothers to watch this and previous interviews.

This month, the Neuman brothers interview tennis player Novak Djokovic.

Q: What was you first big purchase after you received your first big paycheck?

A: I think was sixteen when I got my first paycheck. It was not much, probably around 100 dollars. I went and bought lunch for all of my friends and celebrated.

Q: Who did you look up to as a kid and why?

A: As a tennis player, I had my idol and it was Pete Sampris. I remember the picture I had of him holding up the Wimbledon trophy and I imagined myself in that position.

Q: What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve ever received?

A: I think my brothers.

Q: What was your biggest fear as a kid?

A: Animals probably. I was just afraid of some animals like snakes and spiders.

Q: As a kid, what was one of the funniest things that ever happened to you?

A: I was maybe 7-8 years old and I went with my school somewhere south of our country and we went camping. We went early in the morning and came back in the evening and I came back without underwear! Because there was no toilet and we were in the middle of the forest and I couldn’t go anywhere so unfortunately I was in the towel for the rest of the trip!

Q: What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you on the court?

A: I think when I did impersonations of the other players, that’s probably the funniest thing that’s ever happened to me. I really surprised myself. I didn’t think I was able to do that, but I think most of the people liked it so I’m really happy.

Q: What was your most meaningful moment as a kid?

A: When I started playing tennis, I was four years old and I played in front of the restaurant that my parents still own.

Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?

A: I’m a sports guy. I really like sports besides tennis. I like to ski. I like snow.

Favorites:

Cartoon Character: Bugs Bunny

Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberry

Movie: Slumdog millionaire

Toy as a kid: Any cars

Animal: Dolphin

Video game: Virtua Tennis with my brothers.

Drink: water or energetic drinks

Ride at Disney world: I was afraid of going on Tower of Terror.

 Posted: 08.04.09 22:19. Post subject: Tatiana Спасибо htt..

Tatiana
Спасибо

 Posted: 09.04.09 08:47. Post subject: Djokovic To Possibly..

Djokovic To Possibly Pose Naked For Playgirl (humour)

An often shirtless Novak Djokovic has been approached by Playgirl to pose naked for an upcoming issue. A spokesman for Playgirl confirmed that the offer is in the works.

"We are negotiating a generous offer. Not only did we offer a sweet compensation package, we also gave him a choice to pose in a clay, grass, carpet or hard court setting," The spokesman confirmed.

There have been rumours that the negotiations have been ongoing and challenging because Djokovic insisted that his father should have his own issue or at least pose along with Novak.

Djokovic himself stated a few possibilities.

"I have spoken with Playgirl. I have proposed a naked Djokovic Calendar. Each family member would have their own month. Also, I would like to pose with my new racket just to work it in."

Djokovic emphasized that although his family enjoys being naked, they would still be showing up at his tournaments fully clothed.

Djokovic's childhood friend Anna Ivanovic was not surprised on hearing the news.

"Ever since we were kids, he always equated winning with taking his shirt off. A couple of times, he got hypothermia in the winter months."

Djokovic admitted he was excited about his first photo shoot.

"I want to try this thing where I balance my racket without using my hands."

 Posted: 09.04.09 09:36. Post subject: Глаз-алмаз Джоковича..

Глаз-алмаз Джоковича

Третья ракетка мира серб Новак Джокович оказался единственным теннисистом в мире, который более чем в половине случаев был прав при использовании системы Hawk-Eye.

АТР и WTA провели исследование после того, как на прошлой неделе в рамках турнира в Майами число обращений к «соколиному глазу» перевалило за 10 тысяч. Выяснилось, что, начиная с 2006 года, мужчины почти в два раза чаще прибегали к услугам электронной системы, которая призвана проверять, попал мяч в площадку или нет.

Они сделали 6 тысяч 279 попыток, и только в 35% случаев были правы. Женщины использовали Hawk-Eye 3 тысячи 693 раза и процент успешных попыток составил 36%, сообщает РИА «Новости».

Джокович в 55% случаев оказывался прав, став единственным теннисистом среди мужчин и женщин, у которого этот показатель перевалил за 50%. Второй номер мировой классификации швейцарец Роджер Федерер пользовался системой Hawk-Eye с 50-процентным успехом, а, к примеру, недавний победитель турнира серии «Мастерс» британец Энди Маррей попадает в точку один раз из четырех.


www.eurosport.ru

 Posted: 10.04.09 14:26. Post subject: Clay Court Forecast ..

Clay Court Forecast

By Pete Bodo

This one is pretty easy: cool in the mornings, with periods of sun mixed with clouds and a 40 per cent chance of light showers. But when that thunder starts to roll in from Spain. . . Run for your lives, it's women and children first, stay out from under the trees, and if there are any men left, dial 1-800-Save-Us-From-Rafa!

That's pretty much how it's been for about the past three years, with Rafael Nadal going on perhaps the greatest run of clay-court tennis every put together by a male player. The only guy who might hold his own in that conversation would be Bjorn Borg, whose prowess on red dirt was comparable to Nadal's, but who played in an era that generally had less depth-of-competition, especially on clay. So why should things be any different this year? Well, because things change - maybe not on a predictable or annual basis, but everyone embarking on that red clay road is different from the person and player he was 12 months ago (How Zen is that?).

But seriously, let's look at some of the top clay-court contenders and evaluate their chances in the upcoming season on clay.

No. 1, Rafael Nadal:

You know what I'd like to know? Whether Rafa is at that point in life when he can look at the spring clay-circuit in Europe and think: Same crap, different year. How many more danged times do I have to win Monte Carlo? It says a lot for Nadal that he's entitled to think that way, even though he's nowhere near the third stage of greatness, which is when most great players begin to experience the equivalent of metal fatigue, fall prey to ennui, or simply start looking to re-order their priorities as they exhaust their non-renewable mental resources.

This sudden appearance of a blue-chip event in Madrid on the calendar may come at a good time for Nadal, because his indecision about playing the event (the last I heard, my sources said it was "fifty-fifty" that he'd wind up in the Magic Box) introduces an unknown into a scenario ruined only by the fact that it has lacked unknowns. And Nadal is too aware and experienced a competitor not to go on Stage 2 alert when the customary order has been disrupted.

Nadal left Miami enveloped in some mystery, alluding to "personal" issues that may have prevented him from playing his best, most fully focused tennis. I didn't get the chance to write about this before, but I will now: In his quarterfinal loss to Juan Martin del Potro, Nadal seemed mostly to be going through the motions. The sure sign was that his shots lacked their customary depth; most of his groundstrokes landed closer to the service lines than the baseline. That made del Potro look awfully good, much like Andy Roddick made Roger Federer look good in that unfortunate Australian Open semifinal of 2007 (Roddick got just six games).

In Roddick's case, the issue was execution - he fed balls right into Federer's strike zone, begging for punishment that Roger was all too happy to provide..Nadal last week seemed less a victim of over-eagerness or thoughtless impetuousity than distraction. He went through the motions, waving at all those forehands and backhands like a man swatting flies while his mind was on other things. That's what happens when the ideal, total degree-of-focus is absent. You put on a game face and try to make a match of it. But even your most prodigious swing often leaves the ball six or eight feet short of its intended mark.

So Nadal goes onto the clay with unspecified distractions playing on his mind (although they may be banished by the time the first major event [Monte Carlo] rolls around) and some doubts about whether or not he ought to play Madrid, where the high-altitude may be an impediment to ideal preparation for the French Open (there's a mere one-week break between the Madrid Masters event and Roland Garros).

It may seem counter-intuitive, but these two challenges (and it's impossible to quantify the potential impact of the first one) could stimulate Nadal rather than trouble him. His rivals will find themselves thinking, I hope he's just not that into me. . . . But I don't believe Nadal is the type to fall asleep at the switch, so I look for him to have another outstanding year.

No. 2, Roger Federer:
He may have been relieved that the hard-court swing is over, but it's hard to imagine how the world's second best player on clay can find a whole lot to get fired up about as the tour moves to clay. There's this little matter of Nadal. Just how many more times does Federer need to lose to Nadal before what was once a wake-up call becomes a requiem? And how does Federer turn around his growing habit of losing interest, or focus, or confidence, or determination, or (fill in the blank) as a match progresses toward crunch-time? And then there's that bad back narrative. . .

I never thought I'd find myself writing this, but the same talented rivals who once were given to thinking, Sheesh, I've got to find a way to stay with this guy before he hits the afterburners. . . can now be justified in thinking, I've just got to stay with him and keep the pressure on, because there's a chance he might crumble.

Federer fans undoubtedly will be outraged to read that. But that's exactly what any ATP guy who's prepared to man-up will be thinking. You might as well get used to it.

However. . .let's remember that one of the nice things about clay is that it gives a player a chance to feel around and find his game. On clay, both in practice and matches, you hit enough balls to get in whatever groove is available to you, and you can get into intimate contact with some of the more artful and delicate weapons at your command. Federer knows how to have a conversation with the ball. Inside every container of tennis balls sit three Mr. Wilsons, or Miss Penns, hoping they'll be extracted from the tube by Federer, thinking, Me talk pretty one day. . .

To me, this clay-court season will tell us something about how much Federer really wants to play, how much he still enjoys what Andre Agassi would describe as "the process." His big enemies will be impatience and a low tolerance for frustration, along with the temptation of skipping work on clay in order to better plot his ultimate revenge in a few months time at Wimbledon.

My feeling is that the impatience will win out.

No. 3, Novak Djokovic:
The Djoker is in a situation comparable to Federer's, if that can be said of a guy who's got one Grand Slam title, a dozen short of Federer. But Djokovic also has far fewer miles on his odometer, and (presumably) greater reserves of ambition, youth and stamina. So the clay season is a great time for him to embark on a makeover of his game, which has gotten stuck in the twilight zone of incertitude. Lately, the guy simply doesn't seem to know what kind of game to play, and whether to attack or dig in and trust his considerable ability to change the direction of the ball, exchange savage groundstrokes, and cover his flanks. I don't think he needs to attack, at least not by the traditional definition (rushing the net). But he does need to be aggressive and to trust his strokes, following where they lead.

In this regard, the nature of clay-court tennis will work in his favor, even though it doesn't exactly reward the most common attack strategies. But the number of balls he'll have to hit may help him get back in touch with the bold quality missing lately from his game. He doesn't have to dive around, spearing volleys, but setting himself up get a ball that he can whale on off either wing in the mid-court will serve the same purpose - which is rekindling his sense of purpose.

With Djokovic, you always have to factor in strange physiological reactions and issues, all of which makes me unwilling to predict that his results will be unpredictable.

No. 4, Andy Murray:
He's perhaps the biggest question mark of the clay-court season. According to Djokovic, Murray's ability to transition from defense to offense is as good as that of any player. He's the best counter-puncher since LLeyton Hewitt in is heyday. But if you look at Hewitt's record on clay, you'll see that exploiting those strengths may be harder on clay than any other surface. The transitions just can't be pulled off that quickly, because you know how it is on clay - there's always that extra moment for the other guy when you turn the tables on him; there's always that extra ball to hit.

On the other hand, Murray's quickness and inventive use of court space will enable him to do a lot more than react, and he's superb at mixing up pace and spin. In recent years, Nadal has been able to hit right through guys who have those talents, and Federer has been able to match them, short-angle for short-angle, drop shot for drop shot, and use other elements in his formidable arsenal to end the conversation with Mr. Wilson. But few of those guys have had the range of Murray, or a wingspan that makes it difficult to slide the ball by.

Murray's short-term problem may be motivation and enthusiasm. Given the hard-court season he's just finished, you can understand why he might want to coast a bit, biding his time as he feels around for just the right balance between dictating and exploiting his great skill as a counter-puncher. My feeling is that he'll be more dangerous as the weeks roll on, and use the warm-up tournaments as a way to seek out his best strategy for Paris.

No. 5, Juan Martin del Potro:
Delpo doesn't have a single win in a Masters Series on clay; he's strictly a hard court hombre. In three years at Roland Garros, he's won exactly one match. He's got an awful lot of body to lug around in endless clay court matches. On the other hand, he obviously has a chance to pick up a bushel of ranking points if he can win a few matches here and there on clay, so I wouldn't write him off entirely. A guy with a huge serve and groundies can come up big on clay, because the slowness of the surface will enable him to get to more balls, and draw a bead on them, than he might reach on a faster hard court. He could be a pleasant surprise.

Best of the Rest: Jump all over me if you like, but remember that a young Andy Roddick (he's no. 6) leapt onto the tennis radar off of clay courts, and had a pretty nice little run in Paris the first time he played there (2001), taking down Michael Chang in five sets in the second round. Given the way he's ramped up his commitment, and the new pride he takes in his fitness, he could make an impact, especially on the Grand Slam stage, where his abilities as a competitor have the greatest value.

Gilles Simon (no. 7) has RGAS (Roland Garros Aversion Syndrome, a strange disease that afflicts players of French extraction at the French Open). Simon has won exactly one match in four outings at Roland Garros, but hey - they also play in Monaco, Rome, Madrid. . . He's definitely better suited to hard courts, but I wouldn't write him off. Fernando Verdasco (no. 8) has good clay-court credentials, his game is on the upswing, and he should be in nice comfort zone for the next few months. Nikolay Davydenko (no. 9) is still out with injury, and Gael Monfils - no. 10 and a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year - has plenty of potential, but someone needs to remind him that he's not Olivier Rochus - he's 6-4 and packs a wallop, so maybe it's time to junk the rope-a-dope and hit the gas.

 Posted: 10.04.09 14:29. Post subject: Стихийное бедствие ..

Стихийное бедствие
тебя всё равно не опередить, я только собралась запостить часть этой статьи про Джокера, а она у тебя уже полностью тут висит.

 Posted: 10.04.09 14:41. Post subject: Алёна и в общем раз..

Алёна
и в общем разделе тоже

 Posted: 13.04.09 10:33. Post subject: MC: Sight of Spring ..

MC: Sight of Spring
Spring is the season of rites. There’s the Masters. There’s Opening Day. There’s the Kentucky Derby. There are leaves out and windows down. There's the family dog getting into the kids' Easter baskets and making himself sick on chocolate (maybe that was just a rite of spring at my house). All of these are events that we anticipate happily, the same way we look forward to spring itself—it’s no accident that you’ve never heard of a “rite of winter.”

Tennis has its own symbolic seasonal curtain-raiser. Where the others are mostly colored green, our sport’s comes in reddish orange and pale blue. That’s the combination you see from the top of the Monte Carlo Country Club. Closest to you is the gritty, textured red of a clay court, one of the game’s most historic, and beyond that is the wave-dotted blue of the Mediterranean. We've seen this sight many times, but I for one never get tired of it. I’ll take the sparkling contrast of that expansive vista over the stuffy, over-groomed dogwoods and azaleas at Augusta National any day.

In 2009, Monte Carlo, to the distress of a few European players, has been moved a half-notch down the ATP totem pole. It’s no longer a mandatory Masters event, but it still offers 1000 ranking points to the winner. That makes it just as valuable to the top players, as a title in its own right and a tune-up for the French Open, as it has always been. This fact has been borne out by the draw, which includes all of the tour’s current name brands: Nadal, Federer, Murray, and Djokovic.

Tennis’ rite of spring began a day early in 2009. In an experiment that seems not to have caught on in most places, Monte Carlo staged a few first-round matches on Sunday. But the name brands are still being held in reserve—one of them even spent the early part of his weekend getting married. Let’s see which of their spring starts looks the most promising.

First Quarter

There’s another tennis ritual at this time of year, of course: The dominance of Rafael Nadal. Over the last four years, he’s lost a total of two matches in the lead-up to the French Open, while winning eight Masters events. Every spring we wonder if he can run the table again, and every year he comes out like a new man on clay, his recent losses forgotten, and does it again. Even those two losses, to Federer in Hamburg 2007 and Ferrero in Rome 2008, seemed fortuitous for his French Open aspirations.

There’s another element to Nadal’s dominance. He tends to use this time of year to avenge earlier hard-court losses and stop players from gaining any momentum against him. This year his quarter may afford him a chance to do this again. The top two seeds after Nadal are Juan-Martin del Potro and Gael Monfils, both of whom have beaten him in 2009. Those two are slotted to the play in the fourth round for the right to face Nadal in the quarters.

Other worthy names, but likely losers to Nadal: Hewitt, Monte Carlo resident Marat Safin, and Stepanek

Semifinalist: Nadal

Second Quarter

Andy Murray brings his 26-2 season record into Nadal’s half of the draw. With him are . . . well, not a whole lot. Davydenko, Nalbandian, and Cilic are the other three seeds here, and the only guy I can find who even remotely qualifies as a dangerous floater is Monte Carlo resident Tomas Berdych (he and Murray are 1-1, though they haven’t played since 2006).

Murray’s results on clay have been the biggest disappointment of his career so far—he trained on the stuff as a kid and has developed the patience and stamina for it in the last year. His draw in Monte Carlo gives him an excellent chance to get his clay legs underneath him and make some long-awaited strides on the surface.

Semifinalist: Murray

Third Quarter

This section is the province of the ever-more-unpredictable Monte Carlo resident and No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic. He reached the semis last year, and while these days it’s hard to tell from week to week what kind of patience level he’ll bring to the court, he should benefit from the lack of intense heat and humidity, which staggered him in Indian Wells and Key Biscayne. Djokovic’s strongest competition will likely come from one of a mini-Spanish Armada: Verdasco, Ferrer, and Almagro are all in this quarter, and all could outlast or outhit Djokovic on a good day. While Verdasco is more comfortable on hard courts, Almagro had a solid start to the year on dirt, winning in Acapulco, and Ferrer beat the Serb on the stuff in Davis Cup last month.

Semifinalist: Ferrer


Fourth Quarter

The name-brand player who got hitched over the weekend was, of course, Roger Federer. It’s been a topsy-turvy year for Federer, both professionally and personally, but in taking an 11th-hour wild card into Monte Carlo he seems to have decided that the best place for him at the moment is on the tennis court. It's hard to argue: Judging by his total lack of consistency in the U.S. last month, the more balls he hits, the better.

His quarter is not a frightening one. He could be pitted in a third-rounder against his countryman Stan Wawrinka, provided Stan can get past Igor Andreev and his vicious clay-oriented forehand. After that, Federer’s most likely quarterfinal foes will be Simon or Robredo. It’s hard to say how the world No. 2’s form will be on clay right now. He’s had his ups and downs and his share of happy distractions so far in 2009. While his backhand remains a major question mark—Simon, who beat him in Toronto last summer, could make him hit a lot of them—Federer survived many a grinder over the last three clay springs. He has been the runner-up in Monte Carlo three straight times and hasn’t lost to anyone not named Nadal here since 2005.

Semifinalist: Federer

Semifinals: Nadal d. Murray; Ferrer d. Federer

Final: Nadal d. Ferrer

 Posted: 15.04.09 20:43. Post subject: N. DJOKOVIC/O. Herna..

N. DJOKOVIC/O. Hernandez
6-1, 6-2

Q. You must be reasonably pleased with that. A good start.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, really good start. I didn't quite expect to perform that good, considering the fact that I didn't have any matches, singles matches, on this surface, and I had very little time to make this transition.
But I was really playing aggressive and patient at the same time. This combination is really important for this surface. So hopefully I can continue.

Q. How long does it normally take you to adjust?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it all depends. It all depends from which surface are you coming. I think from hard court to clay is easier than vice versa because it's a slower surface, and then the ball's coming a little bit slower than on the hard courts. So it's easier to adjust.
But it's probably the physical preparation which is priority for each player.

Q. Physically how are you feeling?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I felt quite good. I felt quite good. I was working. I was working quite hard, you know, last four, five days. I will continue on even throughout this tournament to pay attention on the physical strength 'cause I am aware that I have a lot of important events coming up on this surface.

Q. Will you be doing anything different in that sense?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I might focus myself a little bit more on endurance and running so I can have more air on the court. I can say that I can be more confident that I can play long rallies.

Q. I'd like to talk about it's a long time since we didn't see the joking side of Djokovic. We have the impression we lost this part of you since two years. What do you think about this advertising from this morning with Head? Do you think you're going to go farther and farther?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's bad news what you're saying, that you lost (laughter).
But I don't think so, no. I'm still really enjoying whatever I do. It's just that now you play more matches, you have more commitments. It's really difficult to have an outside life, you know, next to the tennis matches.
But this morning it was something really interesting, something really new. Head brand is known that it's representing young players, which is really good. And the video, I don't know if you had a chance to see it, it was really fun. I made it in Miami. It was a day long shooting, but it was worth it.
You know, it's something new with all these animations and all these monsters attacking tennis players. You know, it's good. I think it's good for the sport because tennis needs it.

Q. Could you imagine Roger Federer making the same advertising?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, he's playing in our position, so I don't think so.

Q. When you say give yourself a new air or aura on clay, what do you mean by that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I mean just more look, it's really important in today's tennis because we have so many commitment tournaments and we have to play so much. In order to be one of the top players, you have to keep up because you have Murray, Nadal, Federer, all these guys who are doing so well on different kind of surfaces. So in order to keep up with them, you have to do the same.
And to do that, you know, to do the same thing, to be successful, you have to be physically fit. So, you know, I got a lot of difficulties with the health the last couple of years. The tempo is really growing and growing. So I have to pay attention to that.

 Posted: 16.04.09 10:57. Post subject: HEAD & YOU BREAT..

HEAD & YOU BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO CONSUMERS’ PASSION FOR THE GAME

HEAD has announced the launch of a brand repositioning effort designed to put an increased focus on individual athletes’ personal interaction with the game of tennis. The new marketing campaign showcases the passion for the game of tennis with its claim “The Power of You”.

To support the repositioning campaign, HEAD recently signed tennis great and World No. 3 Novak Djokovic, giving the brand three players in the top 10 and a renewed emphasis on the brand’s junior tennis program. These young stars, along with many others in the top 100, will be more deeply integrated into HEAD’s marketing activities as part of its HEAD & You campaign.

In addition, HEAD will continue to lead the industry with trend-setting products and integrate the latest technologies and materials to find the best solutions for athletes on the court. These advances will be incorporated in the HEAD’s latest racquets and will be packaged under the umbrella brand concept YOUTEK™. YOUTEK™ combines different superior technologies to perfectly match the consumer’s individual playing style.

“Our goal with HEAD’s repositioning is to shift focus back on the consumer and bring more emotion to our customer,” said Johan Eliasch, CEO of the HEAD N.V Group. “We have a strong foundation of young talent in the ATP that will help carry out our message moving forward to ensure the HEAD brand meets consumer need and has continued success.”

As part of YOUTEK™, HEAD will be incorporating d3o™, a revolutionary, smart material into its racquet line and will be located in the shaft of a racquet. d3o™ senses the need of the player during different strokes and adapts accordingly to provide the best approach. For slower hits and slices, the material absorbs the impact to provide a softer touch and greater feel. For fast strokes, d3o automatically locks together to provide maximum power.

HEAD recently launche their new positioning at the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo, together with new racquet series named Speed, which incorporates YOUTEK™. To support the launch of the Speed Series, HEAD recently announced the launch of “Speed Lessons” by Novak Djokovic. A preview to the launch of HEAD’s newest line of racquets, the Speed Lessons are making waves online touting the company’s “most powerful tour racquet ever created.”

A fully interactive Web site, www.speedlessons.com, is drawing attention from around the world with visitors looking to see what HEAD’s top professional player has to say about his new racquet.

 Posted: 18.04.09 22:47. Post subject: N. DJOKOVIC/F. Verda..

N. DJOKOVIC/F. Verdasco
6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Q. Totally different conditions between last night and today. Was it difficult for you to adjust your game?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, thank you, first of all, for not making any press conference last night. It was quite late (smiling).
We had a very strange match. I could have finished the job in two sets, but then he came back. I was lucky, you know, I get to finish the match yesterday, because you have some guys who are having a really difficult schedule today, having to play two singles, even doubles. Verdasco, if he wins doubles now, he's going to play against us another doubles match, so it's three matches in a day.
But, you know, these are the conditions you have to adjust on. The courts were really wet. Even today you could feel it. The balls were getting bald and really fast. It was you tough to control. But overall I played really well.

Q. You talked about your fitness; wanting to improve your endurance.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. Is it kind of helpful in some way to have to back up very quickly like that and test yourself?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It is. I think every single tournament, every single match is a test. I've said before that the priority on this surface would probably be the physical, you know, preparation and physical strength, if you are able to commit yourself to the long rallies, long matches.
I think today was a really good test, a really good match for me, that I can see if I'm able to do that. That's what I did. I hang in there, just waited for my chances.

Q. Were you impressed by yourself today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I've been playing quite good in the first two matches, as well. Feeling well in doubles, as well.
I got four matches prior to today's quarterfinal. Got a lot of practice and worked a lot. I just knew that I am feeling the ball quite well. I just need to repeat that again today.

Q. Did you think you would be able to do so well, so early in the clay season?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it wasn't really a lot of time to get used to that. But it was not just me; it was a couple of players who have played really well in the States and didn't have a lot of time to get used to this surface.
But this is tennis. This is the schedule. You just have to go with it.

Q. We have been talking a lot about the rankings, how you are close to Federer, Murray is close to you. How much do you think about that? Not at all? Does it worry you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. Look, I try not to think about it, you know. But, of course, it's part of your life. It's part of your job. You always get that. Of course, you think about it.
It's really important to keep the balance and really not think about it too much because then you keep your focus away from something you need to do on the court. You need to win every single match you play. You need to believe in that. And that's it.
If you think about rankings, who's going up, who's losing points, then you lose your priorities.

Q. Weren't you afraid to lose your concentration playing the role of Hugh Hefner last night?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Two nights ago (smiling). Unfortunately, public I think will not see that. It was quite interesting.
Actually, I think that this ATP player show is the best thing that they have entertainment wise in the year. They should have it more.

Q. 'More', you mean in different tournaments?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. I think it's a good idea for tournaments to have that, because there's a lot of players that want to show themselves in a different light, if you know what I mean.

Q. What did you enjoy more to perform?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I started this as a stripper and I then I finished as Hugh Hefner. So explains it all.

Q. No video on YouTube in the next day?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Last year, players show got on YouTube. Maybe is going to be the same.

Q. Did you impersonate players?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. Which ones?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I can't say (smiling).