The tennis star shows comeback qualities in Paris – but how badly is his knee injured? Djokovic wants to wait and see. His former coach Boris Becker praises the Serb.
The drama king of Paris has saved himself for the second time with a great effort – but it is still unclear whether tennis star Novak Djokovic will even compete in the quarterfinals of the French Open. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the day after, whether I will be able to go on the court and play,” said the 37-year-old Serb. “I hope so. Let’s wait and see what happens.”
In the round of 16, the 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner beat the Argentine outsider Francisco Cerúndolo 6:1, 5:7, 3:6, 7:5, 6:3, despite slipping on the clay at the start of the second set and injuring his knee. He will have to see what the tests on Tuesday show and how it feels when the adrenaline and painkillers no longer work, explained the defending champion.
The Serb revealed that the doctor gave him the maximum dose of painkillers during the match: “He said: OK, that’s it. That’s all I can give you at the moment.” After 45 minutes, he felt the effect and successfully completed the duel with the clear underdog despite his physical limitations.
Becker on Djokovic: “Not of this world”
His right knee has not felt 100 percent good in recent weeks, but he sustained the injury on the slippery surface of Court Philippe Chatrier. Djokovic had already complained to the head referee during the match: “I sprained my knee. I’m slipping and sliding the whole time.”
But that couldn’t stop the “Djoker”. Even his former coach Boris Becker was amazed at his comeback qualities. It was “out of this world,” said the tennis icon on Eurosport, “how he turns it around every time in the fourth and fifth sets.” His only explanation was: “It’s a Grand Slam and he really wants his 25th title. He’ll give it his all again.”
Two days after his nightly third-round victory over Lorenzo Musetti, which lasted four and a half hours, Djokovic had to make up a 1:2 set deficit and play for 4:39 hours. But Djokovic will need to be in top form against last year’s finalist Casper Ruud from Norway, who beat the American Taylor Fritz 7:6 (8:6), 3:6, 6:4, 6:2 and will face his quarter-final opponent on Wednesday.
Source: Stern
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