Djokovic: Serbia will be going crazy
Novak Djokovic, Australian Open champion for barely an hour, already realises the magnitude of his breakthrough grand slam triumph, the first by a Serbian player.
“I can imagine what is happening on the streets of Belgrade,” Djokovic told Channel Seven. “We’re a small country and this is something amazing for us. This is something that is unexplainable”
Djokovic won the title with a hard fought four set victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Serbian revealed it was the man he beat in the semis, 12-time slam champ Roger Federer, who inspired a young Djokovic to pursue his dream of one day becoming a major champion.
“As a junior here three years I ago, I was watching Roger winning the trophy, laughing and smiling. I thought ‘Jesus, I am going to work for this, to be in this situation one day’.”
Despite never winning a slam, Djokovic was a clear favourite on Sunday. The weight of expectation told in the early stages, with the world number three often shaking his head at the prowess of the Frenchman, while growing frustrated with the pro-Tsonga crowd.
“It felt different. Most of last year I was the underdog in many matches. You feel the pressure and expectations all the time. I was very happy with the way I dealt with the pressure, especially at the start of the tournament.
“Today, playing against a player who had nothing to lose, he was going for his shots. He was very dangerous, especially in the first set when I was nervous.”
After losing the first set, the tide began to turn when Djokovic held onto a tough service game at 1-2. Tsonga was broken shortly after, never recovering.
“I thought that he’s going to play pretty aggressive,” Djokovic said. “He had some amazing, amazing success. I was trying to stay with him, because I knew sooner or later, with my style of game, I could get in and control the match, which I did in the second set.”
The match had an added twist when Djokovic was hampered by a leg injury early in the fourth set. Noted for cramping in the past, the Serbian received a massage to his left hamstring.
“I knew the soreness was getting me,” Djokovic told Seven.
“I don’t feel nothin’ now.”
Djokovic didn’t endear himself to the crowd by over-celebrating big points, almost deliberately inciting a response. The man known as the ‘Djoker’ struggled to handle being the player the fans wanted to see lose.
“Sometimes you just can’t control your emotions on the court. I’m still learning and still young. I was the favourite and everyone expected me to win. It was a lot of pressure.”
And as for Djokovic’s plans to celebrate?
“I’m going to take off right now, (but) I don’t even know where I’m going to go.”
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| > | Djokovic says experience over Tsonga means little |
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| > | Federer: Preparation hurt me in Djokovic loss |
| > | Flat Federer stunned in straight sets loss to Djoker |
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| > | Nadal: Nothing I could do against Tsonga |
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