No pain no gain, this does not apply to Novak Djokovic as he storms into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic marches closer to his tenth Australian Open title as he enters the quarter-finals at the 2023 Australian Open.
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Novak Djokovic - IMAGO / Uk Sports Pics Ltd
You cannot call Novak Djokovic hamstrung. Yeah, he has a left hamstring injury but he is mocking at his own body, his own lack of fitness due to injury, and how much he can push the limits. On Monday night, in Melbourne, the nine-time champion was in aggro mode as he demolished Alex de Minaur to enter the quarter-finals of the Australian Open defeating the Aussie 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
Hitting the heavy bazooka serve, clocking over 200 kmph per hour despite the restriction in movement, Novak was in a mood to forget all pain. There was nothing in his facial contours to suggest he was in pain, he was uncomfortable, or he was hampered any which way. There is a difference between intimidation and flattening the opponent with a game that is robust and explosive.
That’s what Novak showed once again, not caring about the fact he has some kind of an injury issue to deal with. This is called putting mind over mind, keeping a straight face, and going ahead with the job. One can do all this in normal work, not while playing tennis. But then, Novak showed this was another day in the office for him as he played tennis which transported fans to another fantasy level altogether under the arc lights at the Rod Laver Arena.
To be sure, the more you watch Novak these days the more you wonder how he is handling this fitness issue. Putting mind over matter, forgetting that pain can bother and one has to just hammer the hell out of the tennis ball, Novak was the master. He was surveying the tennis court like a Field Marshall eyeing the perimeters of the boundary with a pair of binoculars.
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Novak Djokovic continues to push his body for his 10th Australian Open title
The Serbian has a tunnel vision which Boris Becker used to talk about in his heydays. Becker had said then in the eighties, referring to tunnel vision, he used to “become a bastard” as he wanted to think only about winning the Wimbledon title. Even his family did not matter to him and his wives!
Novak at the AO is a beast, a demon, someone hammering an opponent who was reduced to club class. It was Serbia versus Australia and there was enough hype and negative talk from former legends that Noval would find this match tough. Novak smiled, within inwards. His aura was like that of a Zen master, peaceful, calm, and ready to go on with the job.
That his racket was used like a weapon to fire missiles became more glaring every minute of the contest, which was just for three sets. How does Novak do it? Well, it defies the laws of normal tennis and behavior. Tennis players know how to grin and bear it. This was a different level altogether where Novak, who has faced enough humiliation in the last one year on the tennis tour, exploded into brilliance.
To hide pain is impossible unless you happen to be in a state of penance. Well, Saint Novak showed that was going to do things to use all his mind and muscles, except the injured one. The serves which he fired were like Scud missiles that were hitting the target. Repeatedly, when the ball was hitting the board behind the baseline paint, you knew Novak had cranked up one more big serve.
Inexplicably, none who has played Novak this fortnight has been able to exploit his backhand and make him run more. His court coverage strategy has been different, Novak has cut on his stride length. He is not making any sharp twists and turns, he is using the upper part of his body. Instead of being forced to run, Novak has been comfortable in hitting winners, as if they are in his radar zone of the racket. How he does it, improvises, is a treatise for fans, coaches, and all other players.
This was way above improvisation. To say that the hunger for the 10th AO title is peaking would be stating the obvious. No doubt, he had one rest day on Sunday. No doubt, he would have taken ice packs to kill the pain, tablets to control the pain, and much more.
For someone who has been willing to fight the Covid virus minus a vaccine injection, Novak has conquered medical issues. How, only he can explain. For lesser mortals watching him inch towards his 10th Grand Slam title, there can only be respect, absolute respect.
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S Kannan
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