“He’s ready for best of 10 sets!” Novak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic issues a stern warning to Rafael Nadal ahead of their monumental clash at the French Open
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Rafael Nadal, Goran Ivanisevic, and Novak Djokovic
The two titans of the sport- Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will go head to head for a record 59th time on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open. There was already a lot of talk about this match as soon as the draw was out. While Nadal owns the Parisian clay, he isn’t in great form, and on the other hand, Djokovic is in the form of his life.
The Serb defeated Nadal last year on Chatrier and will go as the favorite to win the match, especially now the match will take place in the night session. Novak Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic spoke about the mega match and called it a dream for spectators. He said that both the players know each other thoroughly given they’ve played each other 58 times.
“It’s a dream for spectators, for the coaches not really,” Ivanisevic said. “It’s going to be great. Let’s say it’s the best quarter-final ever for Roland-Garros, for me – a night match, they’re both ready, they’re both fit and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
“They’ve played 58 times, so they know each other. They’ve played here so many times, they know what each other brings. I don’t think there are too many secrets between these two guys. In the end, when they step on the court, I’m only one of the spectators tomorrow there who is supporting and clapping.”
‘He can still play a few more years at the top level yet’: Goran Ivanisevic on Novak Djokovic
He further spoke about Djokovic and his rise since the setbacks he face in Australia earlier this year. He called Djokovic a genius and said that things weren’t easy but he managed to raise his level with each passing day.
“It was not easy. After Monte-Carlo a lot of things happened. People like him, these genius people they have different brains,” Ivanisevic said. “It was not easy I have to say and hopefully things are okay after Monte-Carlo. Belgrade was better and Madrid was even better. Rome was perfect and was important for him to come here as No.1 in the world, No.1 seed,” he said.
Ivanisevic added that Djokovic is ready for Nadal’s challenge and if need be, he is ready to play a best of 10 match. “So far he’s playing well, hitting the ball well. He’s ready. Rafa’s ready, so we will see. He’s ready for best of 10, if they played 10 sets tomorrow,” Ivanisevic joked.
He concluded by saying that his pupil is taking care of his body and can still play for a few more years at the top level. “They push each other. These two are unbelievable. Especially I’m talking about Novak. He’s taking care of his body, his body is unbelievable. He can still play a few more years at the top level yet,” he concluded.
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Lakshya Chopra
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