DJOKOVIC TO REVIEW FITNESS AFTER AUSTRALIAN CRASH-OUT
Former world No 1 troubled by recurrence of right-elbow injury and other woes
Shortly after crashing out of the Australian Open yesterday, Novak Djokovic said he would need to reassess his fitness situation.
Djokovic endured a painful defeat in the fourth round to South Korean youngster Chung Hyeon, with the former world No 1 struggling with a recurrence of his right-elbow injury and a possible hip/groin problem.
The six-time champion said his level of fitness was “not great” and that he would discuss matters with his team in deciding what to do in the early part of the season.
Chung, who beat Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6, has been slated to meet another lesser-known name – Tennys Sandgren – in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Sandgren of the United States beat Dominic Thiem, the fifth-seeded Austrian, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.
But the big news of the day was Djokovic’s loss and his worrying physical situation.
“Yeah, unfortunately, it’s not great,” the Serb said after the match. “Kind of end of the first set it [elbow] started hurting more. So, yeah, I had to deal with it till the end of the match.
“Now I don’t know. I have to reassess everything with my team, medical team, coaches and everybody, scan it, see what the situation is like.
“In the past couple weeks I’ve played a lot of tennis. Let’s see what’s happening.” Djokovic arrived in Melbourne without playing a tournament since Wimbledon in July when the elbow injury forced him to end his 2017 season early.
“I have to say I’m very grateful I had the chance to play. I didn’t know if I’m going to play or not,” Djokovic said. “So I played four matches here. It was a good tournament. It’s disappointing to go out in the fourth round. The circumstances are such I have to accept it. That’s the reality.
“It’s frustrating when you have that much time and you don’t heal properly. But it is what it is. There is some kind of a reason behind all of this.”
Djokovic said he had been hoping to get through the tournament, but the level of pain was not enough to force him to retire from the match.
It was the first time since 2007 that he has lost in straight sets at the Australian Open.
Roger Federer said he was wary of his next opponent – Tomas Berdych – after the reigning champion charged into his 14th Australian Open quarter-final with a 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 win against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics yesterday.
Federer will face Berdych for the 26th time in tomorrow’s quarter-final, holding a 19-6 lead over the veteran dating back to 2004. Yet, the 19-time grand slam champion said he was not taking the big-serving Czech for granted.
“I did watch a little bit of Tomas’s [6-1, 6-4, 6-4] win against Fabio Fognini today and I saw a little bit of him against Juan Martin del Potro [in the third round],” Federer said. “For me, I think personally it is important to see a little bit just because he might be using different weapons this week.
“He might be taking the ball earlier or later or serving different patterns, so it’s good to know.
“Of course, the coaches are going to get more in depth into Tomas’s game, and I will absorb the information that I get back from them.
“But sometimes it is good to see for myself a little bit, because I have the feeling of having played him but also see him play. I think that combination is important for a player.”
Federer chalked up his 52nd grand slam quarter-final in beating Fucsovics, the most in the post1968 Open Era.
He also became the oldest man to reach the last eight at a major since American Jimmy Connors – 39 years – at the 1991 US Open.