World number one Novak Djokovic struck down Russian Daniil Medvedev, making it clear that the old school of tennis has no plans to abandon the big games. For her part, on Saturday the young Japanese Naomi Osaka imposed her law on the track and took the women’s victory at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic once again prevails as king of the track and takes his ninth Australian Open title. The Serbian defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev, winning 7-5, 6-2 and 6-2 in a short but impressive final.
“It has definitely been emotionally, one of the most challenging ‘Grand Slams’ I have had with everything that was happening, injuries, things off the court, quarantines,” said Djokovic after winning the Australian Open for the third time in a row, acknowledging which has been an atypical year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and qualifying the last weeks of competition as “a roller coaster”.
The now nine-time champion of Australia’s biggest tennis competition was criticized before the first ‘Grand Slam’ of the year for his comments asking the organizers to ease the strict quarantine protocols in Australia for athletes, who had to isolate yourself for two weeks before the tournament.
The organizing committee activated a mechanism for testing Covid-19 at the beginning of February and had to suspend several match days due to the arrest of a positive case that sent at least 600 people to isolation, including players, technical staff and judges.
“Of course I’m not the only one who has lived through that, speaking of quarantine. I can’t complain. I mean I’ve probably had the best time possible compared to the other players, some of whom have had to be 15, 20 days without leaving the room and without training “, stressed the tennis player, whose public image has been involved in strong controversies in the last year.
A controversial year for Djokovic
The Serbian victor, who for a time doubted the coronavirus and the vaccine against the pathogen, went through a complex year. In April, along with his family, he caught the disease, after holding a controversial tournament in the Balkans and a subsequent party, while half the world remained confined. “I am human like any of you,” the Balkan said then by way of apology.
But, beyond the coronavirus, his image was also affected during the United States Open, when during the fourth round he accidentally hit a linesman with a ball, for which he was declassified. Then he lost the final of the French Open to Spanish Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic said that the criticism, both of his controversial comments and of his game, did not seem fair to him as he claimed to have put all his efforts into the game: “I played with a muscle tear in the abdominal and I won. (…) I knew I was running the risk of injuring myself more. I don’t like having heard criticism from people who didn’t know what I had. It doesn’t seem fair to me, but I know it won’t be the last time that happens. My way of answering them is winning. “
For his part, his rival in the Australian tournament, Daniil Medvedev, who has the record of having defeated Djokovic in three of his last four matches before this Sunday, was devastated by his defeat. “I feel like I could have played better,” Medvedev said, recalling recent victories.
Next time, if I ever play Novak here in the final, I’m going to do some things on the court, maybe off the court too, differently because at least I would have this experience where he won (against) me easily. “said the Russian, who squandered his second chance to hit a big one after his stumble in the 2019 US Open final against Nadal.
Djokovic, Federer and Nadal “the three gentlemen of tennis”
During a post-match press conference, the young Medvedev referred to the most popular trio in the world of tennis: Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as “Cyborgs” for their constant successes in the ‘Grand Slams’, 18 for the Serbian and 20 individual titles in French and Spanish.
Laughing, Djokovic called the trio “the three gentlemen of tennis” and sent a message to his rivals: “Roger, Rafa and I are still there for a reason. We do not want to give it and we do not want to allow them to win ‘slams’. I think that That’s very clear. We are definitely transmitting that feeling. ” However, the winner acknowledged that Daniil “is a great guy” off the track and “one of the most dangerous opponents” he has faced.
Osaka imposes its law on rookie Brady to win the final
For her part, at the Australian Open for women, on Saturday, February 20, the Japanese Naomi Osaka imposed her law on the American Jennifer Brady, who debuted in the final of a great. Osaka fulfilled with six direct aces and 22 winners, leaving a score of 6-4 and 6-3 that served him to take his second title at the Australian Open.
“What I wanted most was to go to sleep, so I took a two-hour nap after winning and now I’m here, so I hope I can celebrate a little more today,” the 23-year-old Japanese said after her victory, adding that you don’t want to be overwhelmed by “pressure and expectations” for the future.
Osaka is the queen of women’s tennis of the moment and a sensation, so many already predict that she could win ten of the greats.
The youngster has proven to be unbeatable on hard courts, after winning twice at Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows, but has struggled on other clay or grass courts. “I feel like I have to get comfortable on those surfaces,” she said, adding that “I didn’t grow up playing grass at all.”
On the controversial Olympic Games scheduled to be held this year in Tokyo, after being postponed for a year due to the pandemic, the Japanese said that it is “something very important” for her, “a dream,” she says.
With EFE and Reuters
.
source https://pledgetimes.com/novak-djokovic-does-not-leave-the-throne-and-takes-his-ninth-title-at-the-australian-open/
Disqus comments