Roger Federer has reclaimed the number one position in the latest ATP rankings, after Rafael Nadal's surprise quarter-final exit at the Madrid Masters.&nbsp;

The strange part is, Federer returned to the top spot despite not having played since March. He’s did not participate in the clay-court season for a second consecutive season.

Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic slipped six places to 18th after his second-round defeat in Madrid.

Madrid winner Alexander Zverev remains third, but the man he beat in Sunday's final, Dominic Thiem, dropped a place to eighth despite knocking out Nadal on his way to facing Zverev.

The highest mover in the men's charts is Madrid semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with the Russian teenager jumping 14 rungs to a best-ever 29th.

ATP rankings as of May 14:

1. Roger Federer (SUI) 8,670 pts (+1)

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,950 (-1)

3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6,015

4. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4,870

5. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4,770

6. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 4,540

7. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,660 (+1)

8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,545 (-1)

9. John Isner (USA) 3,305

10. David Goffin (BEL) 2,930

11. Pablo Carreno (ESP) 2,280

12. Sam Querrey (USA) 2,220 (+1)

13. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,210 (+1)

14. Jack Sock (USA) 2,155 (+1)

15. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,130 (+1)

16. Lucas Pouille (FRA) 1,995 (+2)

17. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 1,980

18. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 1,905 (-6)

19. Kyle Edmund (ENG) 1,905 (+3)

20. Hyeon Chung (KOR) 1,807 (+1)

Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic slipped six places to 18th after his second-round defeat in Madrid

Roger Federer has reclaimed the number one position in the latest ATP rankings, after Rafael Nadal's surprise quarter-final exit at the Madrid Masters. The strange part is, Federer returned to the top spot despite not having played since March. He’s did not participate in the clay-court season for a second consecutive season. Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic slipped six places to 18th after his second-round defeat in Madrid. Madrid winner Alexander Zverev remains third, but the man he beat in Sunday's final, Dominic Thiem, dropped a place to eighth despite knocking out Nadal on his way to facing Zverev. The highest mover in the men's charts is Madrid semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with the Russian teenager jumping 14 rungs to a best-ever 29th. ATP rankings as of May 14: 1. Roger Federer (SUI) 8,670 pts (+1) 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,950 (-1) 3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6,015 4. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4,870 5. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4,770 6. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 4,540 7. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,660 (+1) 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,545 (-1) 9. John Isner (USA) 3,305 10. David Goffin (BEL) 2,930 11. Pablo Carreno (ESP) 2,280 12. Sam Querrey (USA) 2,220 (+1) 13. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,210 (+1) 14. Jack Sock (USA) 2,155 (+1) 15. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,130 (+1) 16. Lucas Pouille (FRA) 1,995 (+2) 17. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 1,980 18. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 1,905 (-6) 19. Kyle Edmund (ENG) 1,905 (+3) 20. Hyeon Chung (KOR) 1,807 (+1)

Despite sitting out since March, Roger Federer replaces Rafael Nadal as world No. 1

British number one Kyle Edmund beat 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in three sets to reach the third round of the Madrid Open.

Edmund, 23, beat the 30-year-old Serb 6-3 2-6 6-3 in one hour, 40 minutes and is now set to reach the world's top 20.

He will play David Goffin in the next round after the Belgian's 7-5 6-3 win over Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

Djokovic stormed through the second set on the Manolo Santana court but he spurned three break points early in the decider and Edmund pounced to win.

This was only the third time Edmund had beaten a player ranked as high as world number 12.&nbsp

"Kyle was just better in the decisive moments and I was a bit unlucky," Djokovic said afterwards. "Definitely Kyle is playing the best tennis of his life."&nbsp

Djokovic is by far his biggest scalp yet. 
&nbsp

Edmund, 23, beat the 30-year-old Serb 6-3 2-6 6-3 in one hour, 40 minutes

British number one Kyle Edmund beat 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in three sets to reach the third round of the Madrid Open. Edmund, 23, beat the 30-year-old Serb 6-3 2-6 6-3 in one hour, 40 minutes and is now set to reach the world's top 20. He will play David Goffin in the next round after the Belgian's 7-5 6-3 win over Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Djokovic stormed through the second set on the Manolo Santana court but he spurned three break points early in the decider and Edmund pounced to win. This was only the third time Edmund had beaten a player ranked as high as world number 12. "Kyle was just better in the decisive moments and I was a bit unlucky," Djokovic said afterwards. "Definitely Kyle is playing the best tennis of his life." Djokovic is by far his biggest scalp yet.

Madrid Open: Novak Djokovic defeated by Britain's Kyle Edmund

Former world number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second-round exit at the Barcelona Open when the Serb was beaten 6-2 1-6 6-3 by world number 140 Martin Klizan on Wednesday.

But favourite and 10-times champion Rafael Nadal eased past fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes-Baena 6-4 6-4 in his first appearance at this year`s tournament to reach the third round and set a record by winning 38 consecutive sets on clay.

Second seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria also moved smoothly past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2 6-1 to reach the last 16.

Djokovic, who received a bye in the opening round, has not made the last eight of a tournament since last year`s Wimbledon and has struggled with a long-term elbow injury.

The 30-year-old lost to Austria`s Dominic Thiem in the last 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters last week and looked far from his best in what was his second career appearance in Barcelona.

Klizan claimed the first set in just 32 minutes before Djokovic broke the Slovakian`s serve twice to take the second.

Klizan snatched a crucial break in the eighth game of a tense final set and went on to claim his first career victory over Djokovic in five meetings.

"I feel I haven’t lived up to your expectations, not even my own," Djokovic told a news conference.

"It’s hard to deal with these types of games and defeats, I wasn’t playing at my best, only during the second set. I will try to continue and see where it takes me."

SLOW START

World number one Nadal, who also had a bye to the second round, packed out the main court at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona which is named after him.&nbsp

Perhaps still feeling the effects of his triumph in Monte Carlo on Sunday, Nadal made a slow start against Carballes-Baena and was broken in the opening game to fall 2-0 behind.

The Mallorcan responded by breaking twice to take a 4-2 lead and went on to claim the first set. Nadal broke in the opening game of the second set but lost his serve in the sixth.&nbsp

He went in front again and had match point at 5-3 but could not take advantage, although he comfortably closed the match out with his next service game.

"It was a difficult game and I committed a couple of errors at the start. The first game here after Monte Carlo is always hard but I soon found my rhythm," Nadal told reporters.

The victory saw the Spaniard surpass Romanian Ilie Nastase`s record of winning 36 consecutive sets on clay in 1973.

Nadal will now meet another Spaniard, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who progressed after 14th seed Kei Nishikori retired from his first match after experiencing pain in his right wrist.

The 28-year-old Japanese, who lost to Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, withdrew after losing the first set 6-3.

"My expectations grew in Monte Carlo, despite losing to Nadal," Nishikori told reporters. "However, I started feeling discomfort again during the first set and I did not want to take any risks."

He missed last year`s U.S. Open and the Australian Open at the start of 2018 after injuring the same wrist in August.&nbsp

The Serb was beaten 6-2 1-6 6-3 by world number 140 Martin Klizan

Former world number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second-round exit at the Barcelona Open when the Serb was beaten 6-2 1-6 6-3 by world number 140 Martin Klizan on Wednesday. But favourite and 10-times champion Rafael Nadal eased past fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes-Baena 6-4 6-4 in his first appearance at this year`s tournament to reach the third round and set a record by winning 38 consecutive sets on clay. Second seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria also moved smoothly past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2 6-1 to reach the last 16. Djokovic, who received a bye in the opening round, has not made the last eight of a tournament since last year`s Wimbledon and has struggled with a long-term elbow injury. The 30-year-old lost to Austria`s Dominic Thiem in the last 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters last week and looked far from his best in what was his second career appearance in Barcelona. Klizan claimed the first set in just 32 minutes before Djokovic broke the Slovakian`s serve twice to take the second. Klizan snatched a crucial break in the eighth game of a tense final set and went on to claim his first career victory over Djokovic in five meetings. "I feel I haven’t lived up to your expectations, not even my own," Djokovic told a news conference. "It’s hard to deal with these types of games and defeats, I wasn’t playing at my best, only during the second set. I will try to continue and see where it takes me." SLOW START World number one Nadal, who also had a bye to the second round, packed out the main court at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona which is named after him. Perhaps still feeling the effects of his triumph in Monte Carlo on Sunday, Nadal made a slow start against Carballes-Baena and was broken in the opening game to fall 2-0 behind. The Mallorcan responded by breaking twice to take a 4-2 lead and went on to claim the first set. Nadal broke in the opening game of the second set but lost his serve in the sixth. He went in front again and had match point at 5-3 but could not take advantage, although he comfortably closed the match out with his next service game. "It was a difficult game and I committed a couple of errors at the start. The first game here after Monte Carlo is always hard but I soon found my rhythm," Nadal told reporters. The victory saw the Spaniard surpass Romanian Ilie Nastase`s record of winning 36 consecutive sets on clay in 1973. Nadal will now meet another Spaniard, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who progressed after 14th seed Kei Nishikori retired from his first match after experiencing pain in his right wrist. The 28-year-old Japanese, who lost to Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, withdrew after losing the first set 6-3. "My expectations grew in Monte Carlo, despite losing to Nadal," Nishikori told reporters. "However, I started feeling discomfort again during the first set and I did not want to take any risks." He missed last year`s U.S. Open and the Australian Open at the start of 2018 after injuring the same wrist in August.

Novak Djokovic crashes out in Barcelona, Rafael Nadal wins

Spanish Tennis player Rafael Nadal claimed another Monte Carlo Masters title as he defeated Kei Nishikori in Sunday's final.

With this win, he retained the world number one ranking.

The result is significant because Nadal will retain his status as world No 1. Roger Federer would have taken over if Nadal failed to win in Monaco.

Nadal beat Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 in the final to secure a remarkable 11th championship in 14 years, and a third in a row.

His 31st Masters title is also an outright record, pulling him out of a tie with Novak Djokovic. 
&nbsp

With this win, he retained the world number one ranking.

Spanish Tennis player Rafael Nadal claimed another Monte Carlo Masters title as he defeated Kei Nishikori in Sunday's final. With this win, he retained the world number one ranking. The result is significant because Nadal will retain his status as world No 1. Roger Federer would have taken over if Nadal failed to win in Monaco. Nadal beat Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 in the final to secure a remarkable 11th championship in 14 years, and a third in a row. His 31st Masters title is also an outright record, pulling him out of a tie with Novak Djokovic.

Monte Carlo Masters: Rafael Nadal wins for 3rd consecutive year

World number one Rafael Nadal will aim to book his place in the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo Masters when he takes on Karen Khachanov of Russia in their men's singles clash here on Thursday.

Yesterday, the 31-year-old produced a rich vein of form as he swept aside Aljaz Bedene of Slovania 6-1, 6-3 in a one-sided last-32 clash that lasted one hour and 17 minutes.

Now, he will lock horns with Russi`s Khachanov in his last-16 encounter.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion is bidding for an 11th Monte Carlo title and a record 31st Masters title.

Meanwhile, former world number one and Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will also look to seal quarter-final spot when he squares off with Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Earlier in the last-32 clash, Djokovic showcased a spirited performance as he had swept aside Borna Coric in straight sets 6-7 (2-7), 5-7 in two hours and 15 minutes.Meanwhile, Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori and second-seed Marin Cilic of Croatia will also face Italy`s Andreas Seppi and Canadia`s Milos Raonic in their last-16 clash later today.

Nadal will aim to book his place in the quarter-finals

World number one Rafael Nadal will aim to book his place in the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo Masters when he takes on Karen Khachanov of Russia in their men's singles clash here on Thursday. Yesterday, the 31-year-old produced a rich vein of form as he swept aside Aljaz Bedene of Slovania 6-1, 6-3 in a one-sided last-32 clash that lasted one hour and 17 minutes. Now, he will lock horns with Russi`s Khachanov in his last-16 encounter. The 16-time Grand Slam champion is bidding for an 11th Monte Carlo title and a record 31st Masters title. Meanwhile, former world number one and Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will also look to seal quarter-final spot when he squares off with Dominic Thiem of Austria. Earlier in the last-32 clash, Djokovic showcased a spirited performance as he had swept aside Borna Coric in straight sets 6-7 (2-7), 5-7 in two hours and 15 minutes.Meanwhile, Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori and second-seed Marin Cilic of Croatia will also face Italy`s Andreas Seppi and Canadia`s Milos Raonic in their last-16 clash later today.

Monte Carlo Masters: Nadal, Djokovic eye quarter-final berths

Former world number one Novak Djokovic showed signs of rediscovering his form with a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Dusan Lajovic in the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday.

Djokovic's start of the season was disrupted by an elbow surgery, and has since suffered defeats in consecutive opening matches at Indian Wells and Miami.

But there were no signs of his recent struggles as he kickstarted his claycourt campaign in style to record a victory over fellow Serb Lajovic in just 57 minutes.

Djokovic, a two-time winner at Monte Carlo, dropped just eight points as he wrapped up the first set with his opponent well off the pace.

Lajovic, ranked 93 in the world, offered resistance in the second set to level at 1-1 but failed to capitalise on a break point as the 12-time grand slam winner roared back to book a second round meeting with Borna Coric of Croatia.

Earlier in the day, Japan's Kei Nishikori came back from a set down to see off Czech 12th seed Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-2 6-1 and reach the second round.

Nishikori, who missed a large part of last season with a wrist injury, started the season in the Challenger Tour events before reaching the second round at Miami.

He was playing close to his best&nbsptennis&nbspdespite calling for a medical timeout for his troublesome wrist.

"It's not great but first match on clay, you know, I'm expecting little soreness," Nishikori said.

"Hopefully I have a day off tomorrow. If I have to play tomorrow, I got to be ready tonight."

The 28-year-old, who is making his first Monte Carlo appearance since 2012, will face Russian Daniil Medvedev in the next round.

World number 51 Jared Donaldson confronted an umpire after disagreeing with a call made in his first-round defeat by last-year's finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

While 6-3 3-2 down, the 21-year-old American became outraged when a serve by the Spaniard was called in by Arnaud Gabas when he believed it was out.

Donaldson eventually lost 6-3 6-3 and apologised to Ramos-Vinolas but refused to shake Gabas' hand.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic showed signs of rediscovering his form with a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Dusan Lajovic in the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters

Former world number one Novak Djokovic showed signs of rediscovering his form with a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Dusan Lajovic in the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday. Djokovic's start of the season was disrupted by an elbow surgery, and has since suffered defeats in consecutive opening matches at Indian Wells and Miami. But there were no signs of his recent struggles as he kickstarted his claycourt campaign in style to record a victory over fellow Serb Lajovic in just 57 minutes. Djokovic, a two-time winner at Monte Carlo, dropped just eight points as he wrapped up the first set with his opponent well off the pace. Lajovic, ranked 93 in the world, offered resistance in the second set to level at 1-1 but failed to capitalise on a break point as the 12-time grand slam winner roared back to book a second round meeting with Borna Coric of Croatia. Earlier in the day, Japan's Kei Nishikori came back from a set down to see off Czech 12th seed Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-2 6-1 and reach the second round. Nishikori, who missed a large part of last season with a wrist injury, started the season in the Challenger Tour events before reaching the second round at Miami. He was playing close to his best&nbsptennis&nbspdespite calling for a medical timeout for his troublesome wrist. "It's not great but first match on clay, you know, I'm expecting little soreness," Nishikori said. "Hopefully I have a day off tomorrow. If I have to play tomorrow, I got to be ready tonight." The 28-year-old, who is making his first Monte Carlo appearance since 2012, will face Russian Daniil Medvedev in the next round. World number 51 Jared Donaldson confronted an umpire after disagreeing with a call made in his first-round defeat by last-year's finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas. While 6-3 3-2 down, the 21-year-old American became outraged when a serve by the Spaniard was called in by Arnaud Gabas when he believed it was out. Donaldson eventually lost 6-3 6-3 and apologised to Ramos-Vinolas but refused to shake Gabas' hand.

Novak Djokovic eases past Lajovic in Monte Carlo

Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic dashed out of the Miami Open after suffering a second-round defeat on Saturday as he continues his return from an injury.Djokovic lost 6-3, 6-4 to French world number 47 Benoit Paire in a match, which lasted over 69 minutes.

It is Djokovic`s third consecutive defeat since he reached the Australian Open fourth round, where he made a comeback after a six-month injury lay-off.

Earlier this month, the Serb was knocked out of the Indian Wells Masters after losing to Taro Daniel of Japan in the second round tie.&quot;I mean, I`m trying, but it`s not working. That`s all.

That`s all it is. I`m not feeling great when I`m playing this way. Of course, I want to be able to play as well as I want to play. Just it`s impossible at the moment.

That`s all. I lost to a better player,&quot; Djokovic said post his defeat.Elsewhere in Miami, Belgium No. 1 David Goffin was defeated by Portugal`s Joao Sousa 6-0 6-1.Goffin was playing his comeback match after sustaining an eye injury at the Rotterdam Open in January.Later in the day, World No. 1 Roger Federer will begin his Miami Open campaign against Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia.&nbsp;

It is Djokovic`s third consecutive defeat

Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic dashed out of the Miami Open after suffering a second-round defeat on Saturday as he continues his return from an injury.Djokovic lost 6-3, 6-4 to French world number 47 Benoit Paire in a match, which lasted over 69 minutes. It is Djokovic`s third consecutive defeat since he reached the Australian Open fourth round, where he made a comeback after a six-month injury lay-off. Earlier this month, the Serb was knocked out of the Indian Wells Masters after losing to Taro Daniel of Japan in the second round tie."I mean, I`m trying, but it`s not working. That`s all. That`s all it is. I`m not feeling great when I`m playing this way. Of course, I want to be able to play as well as I want to play. Just it`s impossible at the moment. That`s all. I lost to a better player," Djokovic said post his defeat.Elsewhere in Miami, Belgium No. 1 David Goffin was defeated by Portugal`s Joao Sousa 6-0 6-1.Goffin was playing his comeback match after sustaining an eye injury at the Rotterdam Open in January.Later in the day, World No. 1 Roger Federer will begin his Miami Open campaign against Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia.

Novak Djokovic out of Miami Open

Novak Djokovic insists he is playing pain-free for the first time in &quot;years&quot; as he pursues his comeback at the Miami Masters.

The former world number one has been beset with an elbow injury that sidelined him for six months after he was forced to retire in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year.

A return to action at the Australian Open with a modified serving action resulted in a fourth-round defeat while a limp exit at Indian Wells last week only heightened doubts that the 30-year-old would ever add to his total of 12 Grand Slams.

Yet as the Serbian star fine-tuned his attempt to win in Key Biscayne for a record seventh time,&nbsp;he spoke of finally putting an end to the injury torment which has blighted his efforts to return to the form which saw him become the first man since the legendary Australian Rod Laver to hold all four majors at once less than two years ago.

&quot;I actually started playing pain-free in the last two days. It&#39;s quite refreshing because everything else had pain involved,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;The last few days have been first in a long, long time that I could actually be focused on the game rather than have something in my mind and be worried about whether I am going to have pain or not.&quot;

Asked by AFP to clarify his injury situation, Djokovic added: &quot;Actually it&#39;s the first time in years (he has been injury free).&quot;

Djokovic&#39;s physical problems have clearly affected his once seemingly impenetrable mental strength.

He swatted away a question about how he could challenge current world number one, Roger Federer, the Miami Open reigning champion, preferring to concentrate on the lessons learned during the most arduous of comebacks.

&quot;I have learned a lot about myself,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s been a great, great blessing to go through this. I&#39;ve been very successful in this sport over the course of the last six, seven years and I&#39;ve been very grateful to go through that.

&quot;But I obviously have had to face different circumstances, situations that I&#39;ve never faced before. Ever since I started professional tennis my trajectory was always going in the right direction and that has changed.&nbsp;

&quot;So I had to open up and figure out things, how to move forward and get inspired and be the best version I can be.&quot;

Every day a process

Djokovic, who will play in the second round here on Friday, underwent a &quot;small medical intervention&quot; following his defeat in Melbourne and has been seen in the build-up here simulating a baseball pitch to ensure his right elbow stands up to the test.

&quot;It&#39;s one of the ways to warm up and get my body and my mind synchronized with a certain motion that I would like to have with my serve because that&#39;s where I kind of compromise my elbow,&quot; he said. &quot;So I&#39;m trying to strengthen the muscles and get into a certain motion that would support the best possible serve.

&quot;I am not yet at my best. Every day is a process for me and it&#39;s an opportunity to learn, to grow and get better after the two years of injury and trying to figure out ways how to play pain-free.

&quot;I have had to modify a lot of things in my game to accept it. When I made this intervention, obviously it&#39;s pretty invasive and unfortunately in the end it had to be done.

&quot;It also carries certain consequences but right now, I&#39;m not playing with the pain which is the most important thing.

&quot;All I can do now is to try to embrace the process every day.&quot;

&nbsp;

The former world number one has been beset with an elbow injury that sidelined him for six months after he was forced to retire in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year

Novak Djokovic insists he is playing pain-free for the first time in "years" as he pursues his comeback at the Miami Masters. The former world number one has been beset with an elbow injury that sidelined him for six months after he was forced to retire in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year. A return to action at the Australian Open with a modified serving action resulted in a fourth-round defeat while a limp exit at Indian Wells last week only heightened doubts that the 30-year-old would ever add to his total of 12 Grand Slams. Yet as the Serbian star fine-tuned his attempt to win in Key Biscayne for a record seventh time, he spoke of finally putting an end to the injury torment which has blighted his efforts to return to the form which saw him become the first man since the legendary Australian Rod Laver to hold all four majors at once less than two years ago. "I actually started playing pain-free in the last two days. It's quite refreshing because everything else had pain involved," Djokovic said. "The last few days have been first in a long, long time that I could actually be focused on the game rather than have something in my mind and be worried about whether I am going to have pain or not." Asked by AFP to clarify his injury situation, Djokovic added: "Actually it's the first time in years (he has been injury free)." Djokovic's physical problems have clearly affected his once seemingly impenetrable mental strength. He swatted away a question about how he could challenge current world number one, Roger Federer, the Miami Open reigning champion, preferring to concentrate on the lessons learned during the most arduous of comebacks. "I have learned a lot about myself," he said. "It's been a great, great blessing to go through this. I've been very successful in this sport over the course of the last six, seven years and I've been very grateful to go through that. "But I obviously have had to face different circumstances, situations that I've never faced before. Ever since I started professional tennis my trajectory was always going in the right direction and that has changed. "So I had to open up and figure out things, how to move forward and get inspired and be the best version I can be." Every day a process Djokovic, who will play in the second round here on Friday, underwent a "small medical intervention" following his defeat in Melbourne and has been seen in the build-up here simulating a baseball pitch to ensure his right elbow stands up to the test. "It's one of the ways to warm up and get my body and my mind synchronized with a certain motion that I would like to have with my serve because that's where I kind of compromise my elbow," he said. "So I'm trying to strengthen the muscles and get into a certain motion that would support the best possible serve. "I am not yet at my best. Every day is a process for me and it's an opportunity to learn, to grow and get better after the two years of injury and trying to figure out ways how to play pain-free. "I have had to modify a lot of things in my game to accept it. When I made this intervention, obviously it's pretty invasive and unfortunately in the end it had to be done. "It also carries certain consequences but right now, I'm not playing with the pain which is the most important thing. "All I can do now is to try to embrace the process every day."

Finally, started playing pain-free: Novak Djokovic

By Braham Dabscheck*

Novak Djokovic has called for professional tennis players to form a union, claiming they receive just 7% of the revenue generated by the four grand slams. Djokovic, who is president of the ATP Players&rsquo; Council, has also criticised officials for adding even more events to an already long schedule.

The creation of a new player union would put tennis in the same league as cricket, soccer, basketball and many other sporting codes. In these sports, player associations have successfully negotiated pay increases, player-friendly schedules, better accommodation, and even counselling and welfare programs. They also help players set up for life after sport through training and health programs.

The only shocking thing about a proposed tennis players&rsquo; union is that it hasn&rsquo;t been created earlier.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is technically a player association, but it also organises all of the tournaments except the four grand slams. This means, as former player Andy Roddick has noted, it technically represents both sides &ndash; the players and the tour operators.

Since the beginning of last century there has been a huge rise in the number of player associations. By my count there are now 194 professional player associations across 35 different sports and 87 nations. There are also another 53 associations for independent contractors (players who are self-employed).

More than half of these associations have been created since the 1990s.&nbsp;

Player associations, leagues and clubs negotiate lengthy collective bargaining agreements. These agreements cover aspects like how much of the total revenue will be paid out to players, the number of games in a season, and rest between games.

The National Basketball Association collective bargaining agreement, for instance, ensures players are paid around 50% of the league&rsquo;s revenue and get at least 16 days off during the season.

The major complaint in the early days of professional team sports was about labour market controls, such as the restrictions on players moving between clubs. This made it hard for them to relocate and negotiate for higher pay.&nbsp;

That all started to change with sports broadcasting. With more money in sport, players became more conscious of the need to organise and ensure that they received a &ldquo;fair&rdquo; share of increasing levels of income. Beginning in the 1940s and &rsquo;50s, players increasingly formed associations and challenged employment rules in the courts.

In one case, the European Court of Justice found that FIFA&rsquo;s transfer and compensation system was inconsistent with the freedom-of-movement provisions in the Treaty on the European Union.

This encouraged leagues around the world to enter into collective bargaining agreements with player unions. This protected the rules from legal attack &ndash; the players have formally agreed to them!&nbsp;

But player associations are also concerned with enhancing players&rsquo; broader welfare needs. This includes providing players with counselling, financial advice, education and training for a life after sport, and improving guidelines for player health.

Players associations are also generally active in welfare and other projects within the broader community, such as hospital visits or education programs. Many player associations have awards for members who are active in such ventures.

Player associations have carved out an important niche in the governance of their sports. In representing the broad interests of members, they have acted as a force to improve the governance and operation of these sports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

*Braham Dabscheck is a senior fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Players Association will provide players with counselling, financial advice, education and training for a life after sport, and improving guidelines for player health.

By Braham Dabscheck* Novak Djokovic has called for professional tennis players to form a union, claiming they receive just 7% of the revenue generated by the four grand slams. Djokovic, who is president of the ATP Players’ Council, has also criticised officials for adding even more events to an already long schedule. The creation of a new player union would put tennis in the same league as cricket, soccer, basketball and many other sporting codes. In these sports, player associations have successfully negotiated pay increases, player-friendly schedules, better accommodation, and even counselling and welfare programs. They also help players set up for life after sport through training and health programs. The only shocking thing about a proposed tennis players’ union is that it hasn’t been created earlier. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is technically a player association, but it also organises all of the tournaments except the four grand slams. This means, as former player Andy Roddick has noted, it technically represents both sides – the players and the tour operators. Since the beginning of last century there has been a huge rise in the number of player associations. By my count there are now 194 professional player associations across 35 different sports and 87 nations. There are also another 53 associations for independent contractors (players who are self-employed). More than half of these associations have been created since the 1990s. Player associations, leagues and clubs negotiate lengthy collective bargaining agreements. These agreements cover aspects like how much of the total revenue will be paid out to players, the number of games in a season, and rest between games. The National Basketball Association collective bargaining agreement, for instance, ensures players are paid around 50% of the league’s revenue and get at least 16 days off during the season. The major complaint in the early days of professional team sports was about labour market controls, such as the restrictions on players moving between clubs. This made it hard for them to relocate and negotiate for higher pay. That all started to change with sports broadcasting. With more money in sport, players became more conscious of the need to organise and ensure that they received a “fair” share of increasing levels of income. Beginning in the 1940s and ’50s, players increasingly formed associations and challenged employment rules in the courts. In one case, the European Court of Justice found that FIFA’s transfer and compensation system was inconsistent with the freedom-of-movement provisions in the Treaty on the European Union. This encouraged leagues around the world to enter into collective bargaining agreements with player unions. This protected the rules from legal attack – the players have formally agreed to them! But player associations are also concerned with enhancing players’ broader welfare needs. This includes providing players with counselling, financial advice, education and training for a life after sport, and improving guidelines for player health. Players associations are also generally active in welfare and other projects within the broader community, such as hospital visits or education programs. Many player associations have awards for members who are active in such ventures. Player associations have carved out an important niche in the governance of their sports. In representing the broad interests of members, they have acted as a force to improve the governance and operation of these sports. *Braham Dabscheck is a senior fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Djokovic is right to say tennis players need a union

Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel sent five-time tournament champion Novak Djokovic tumbling out of the Indian Wells Masters with a hard-fought 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-1 victory on Sunday.

It was another snag in the return for the 30-year-old Djokovic who was playing in just his second event of 2018.

He is making a cautious return to the ATP Tour after stopping his 2017 season following Wimbledon, due to a right elbow injury.

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Taro takes it all the way! ???? 
 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/tarodaniel93?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tarodaniel93</a> stuns Djokovic to earn the biggest win of his career ???? 
 
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/yrAYohtAhU">https://t.co/yrAYohtAhU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/iwpbwRExh4">pic.twitter.com/iwpbwRExh4</a>
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Djokovic scrambled to win the second set but looked rusty on stadium court, making 62 unforced errors compared to 29 for Daniel.

Djokovic had four aces but overall he served poorly making four double faults and winning just 65 percent of his first-serve points.&nbsp;

Daniel, who is ranked 109th in the world, advanced to the third round where he will face Gael Monfils of France who outlasted American John Isner 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.

&nbsp;

Taro Daniel defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-1 to set up the next match against Gael Monfils of France

Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel sent five-time tournament champion Novak Djokovic tumbling out of the Indian Wells Masters with a hard-fought 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-1 victory on Sunday. It was another snag in the return for the 30-year-old Djokovic who was playing in just his second event of 2018. He is making a cautious return to the ATP Tour after stopping his 2017 season following Wimbledon, due to a right elbow injury. Taro takes it all the way! ???? ???????? @tarodaniel93 stuns Djokovic to earn the biggest win of his career ???? ➡️ https://t.co/yrAYohtAhU #BNPPO2018 pic.twitter.com/iwpbwRExh4 — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) March 11, 2018 × Djokovic scrambled to win the second set but looked rusty on stadium court, making 62 unforced errors compared to 29 for Daniel. Djokovic had four aces but overall he served poorly making four double faults and winning just 65 percent of his first-serve points. Daniel, who is ranked 109th in the world, advanced to the third round where he will face Gael Monfils of France who outlasted American John Isner 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.

Taro Daniel outplays Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells

World number two Roger Federer and Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic will aim to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Australian Open when they play their respective third rounds of the men`s singles event here on Saturday.

While Federer will take on 29th seed Richard Gasquet of France, Djokovic will square off with 21st seed Albert Ramos Vinolas of Spain.

Earlier, 19-time Grand Slam champion Federer stormed into the third round of the first major of the season after defeating Germany`s Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets at the Melbourne Park.

The reigning Australia Open winner swept aside Struff 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 in their last-64 clash.

Former world number one Djokovic, on the other hand, survived an early scare from France`s Gael Monfils to storm into the round of 32 of the season-opening Grand Slam for the 11th time.

The 14th seed, who is bidding to clinch his sixth Australian Open title, went down in the first set, but he rebounded strongly to eventually outplay Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in a thrilling second-round clash at the Melbourne Park.

On Tuesday, Djokovic played his first match since he was forced to retire during his Wimbledon quarter-final clash against Czech Republic`s Tomas Berdych.

The Serbian tennis maestro showed no signs of the elbow injury that cut short his 2017 season as he eased past Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in a one-sided opening round clash of the men`s singles event that lasted one hour and 51 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena.

The reigning Australia Open winner swept aside Struff 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 in their last-64 clash.

World number two Roger Federer and Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic will aim to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Australian Open when they play their respective third rounds of the men`s singles event here on Saturday. While Federer will take on 29th seed Richard Gasquet of France, Djokovic will square off with 21st seed Albert Ramos Vinolas of Spain. Earlier, 19-time Grand Slam champion Federer stormed into the third round of the first major of the season after defeating Germany`s Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets at the Melbourne Park. The reigning Australia Open winner swept aside Struff 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 in their last-64 clash. Former world number one Djokovic, on the other hand, survived an early scare from France`s Gael Monfils to storm into the round of 32 of the season-opening Grand Slam for the 11th time. The 14th seed, who is bidding to clinch his sixth Australian Open title, went down in the first set, but he rebounded strongly to eventually outplay Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in a thrilling second-round clash at the Melbourne Park. On Tuesday, Djokovic played his first match since he was forced to retire during his Wimbledon quarter-final clash against Czech Republic`s Tomas Berdych. The Serbian tennis maestro showed no signs of the elbow injury that cut short his 2017 season as he eased past Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in a one-sided opening round clash of the men`s singles event that lasted one hour and 51 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena.

Australian Open: Federer, Djokovic eye pre-quarterfinal berths

Novak Djokovic battled with a lower back injury as he claimed his 11th round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open on Saturday.

The six-time champion advanced with a clear-cut 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Spanish 21st seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in 2hr 21min on Margaret Court Arena.

But there was concern in the Serb&#39;s camp when the former world No.1 sought a medical timeout early in the second set for treatment to his lower back.

Djokovic, looking for matches after six months out with right elbow trouble, will next face South Korea&#39;s Chung Hyeon in Sunday&#39;s fourth round after he shocked Alexander Zverev.

The injury was a fresh concern for the 12-time Grand Slam champion, whose ranking has slipped to 14 after an inactive second half of 2017.

But Djokovic was workmanlike as broke the Spaniard`s serve five times, although his errors outnumbered his winners 40-37.

&quot;It was a straight sets win, but it was almost two-and-a-half hours, so it wasn`t that easy and comfortable on the court,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;I knew coming into the match that he was a great fighter, he grinds it out and gets a lot of balls back.

&quot;Obviously for me it`s taking it one match at a time but I have to be more humble with my expectations as I haven`t played in the last six months.

&quot;But I am very pleased where my game is at.&quot;

 
Should Djokovic beat Chung he is facing a potential quarter-final against Austria`s fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who must first get past American surprise packet Tennys Sandgren on Monday.

Djokovic battled with a lower back injury as he claimed his 11th round

Novak Djokovic battled with a lower back injury as he claimed his 11th round of 16 appearance at the Australian Open on Saturday. The six-time champion advanced with a clear-cut 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Spanish 21st seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in 2hr 21min on Margaret Court Arena. But there was concern in the Serb's camp when the former world No.1 sought a medical timeout early in the second set for treatment to his lower back. Djokovic, looking for matches after six months out with right elbow trouble, will next face South Korea's Chung Hyeon in Sunday's fourth round after he shocked Alexander Zverev. The injury was a fresh concern for the 12-time Grand Slam champion, whose ranking has slipped to 14 after an inactive second half of 2017. But Djokovic was workmanlike as broke the Spaniard`s serve five times, although his errors outnumbered his winners 40-37. "It was a straight sets win, but it was almost two-and-a-half hours, so it wasn`t that easy and comfortable on the court," Djokovic said. "I knew coming into the match that he was a great fighter, he grinds it out and gets a lot of balls back. "Obviously for me it`s taking it one match at a time but I have to be more humble with my expectations as I haven`t played in the last six months. "But I am very pleased where my game is at." Should Djokovic beat Chung he is facing a potential quarter-final against Austria`s fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who must first get past American surprise packet Tennys Sandgren on Monday.

Novak Djokovic powers into 11th Aussie Open fourth round

Former world number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat by world number 58 Hyeon Chung in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The 21-year-old South Korean defeated Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 to reach the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Djokovic is the most successful player in the history of the tournament, having won six times in Melbourne.&nbsp;

But he has not won a Grand Slam since the 2016 French Open having struggled with injuries and poor form.&nbsp;

Djovick was hampered by the elbow injury which had kept him out of tennis for six months after Wimbledon.

Djokovic is the most successful player in the history of the tournament, having won six times in Melbourne

Former world number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat by world number 58 Hyeon Chung in the fourth round of the Australian Open. The 21-year-old South Korean defeated Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 to reach the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Djokovic is the most successful player in the history of the tournament, having won six times in Melbourne. But he has not won a Grand Slam since the 2016 French Open having struggled with injuries and poor form. Djovick was hampered by the elbow injury which had kept him out of tennis for six months after Wimbledon.

Injured Novak Djokovic knocked out by Hyeon Chung in Australian Open

Former world number one Novak Djokovic came back from six months off the tennis circuit due to an elbow injury to play the Australian Open at the start of the new season. The first of four grand slam tournaments between January and September takes place in Melbourne at the height of Australia&rsquo;s summer. In recent years, it has become sport&rsquo;s most dramatic illustration of the effects of global warming. Year after year, daytime temperatures climb to increasingly unbearable levels for the players, many of whom are forced to retire before completing their best-of-five set match.

Early in the tournament, after several hours struggling in extreme heat to defeat Gael Monfils, Djokovic expressed his growing concern.&nbsp;Here is how he describes&nbsp;the state of tennis&nbsp;today: &ldquo;Our sport has become an industry. It&rsquo;s more business than a sport. At times I don&rsquo;t like that. Of course, we&rsquo;re all blessed to have great financial compensation, great lives. I&rsquo;m very grateful for that. At the same time, what is most important for us is our health and what happens after our careers, after you&rsquo;re 30, 35.&rdquo;

This raises a serious question: Does it make sense to call an individual sport in which two players strike a ball on opposite sides of a net an industry? Perhaps the word &ldquo;industry&rdquo; has changed its meaning.

Here is today&rsquo;s 3D definition:

Industry:

Every human activity from which a profit can be earned. Formerly, industry only applied to those human activities that required high levels of investment and organization to produce and distribute goods.

CONTEXTUAL NOTE

Sport is one of the mainstays of the attention economy. When traditionally shared social values end up in tatters as a result of ever-increasing consumerist individualism, people turn to competitive sport as an alternative to religion, patriotism and politics &mdash; on which no one can agree &mdash; to anchor their loyalties and even their identity. The movers and shakers of the attention economy have seized the occasion and progressively exploited the trend to the point at which the athletes themselves have become products and the most successful ones brands in their own right. The uncontested stars of their sport attract far more revenue from their chosen corporate sponsors than from the increasingly well-endowed prize money they earn from competing.

Djokovic doesn&rsquo;t fail to express his gratitude for the windfall this represents for his own well-being. But in moments like these, when it becomes obvious that the power of commercial interests dwarfs the power and skill of finely tuned athletes and endangers their livelihood, the Serbian champion allows himself to express some minor misgivings about the cynicism of a system more focused on a sponsor&rsquo;s bottom line than the court&rsquo;s rectangular white lines and the players&rsquo; longevity.

HISTORICAL NOTE

There is a double movement in the modern history of sports and tennis in particular. Amateur sports were long considered the ideal. To qualify for the Olympic Games and to participate in a tennis grand slam (Paris, Wimbledon, New York, Melbourne) one had to be an amateur. Pros were not allowed to compete. As a result, for most of the 20th-century amateur athletes were often held in higher esteem than professionals. Exactly 50 years ago, in 1968, the four prestigious grand slam tennis tournaments became &ldquo;Opens,&rdquo; allowing professional tennis players to compete for the first time.

The growing popularity of televised sporting events opened the door to sponsorship on a dramatically new level. Famous athletes had always been courted by commercial interests, but this is when the trend to brand everything began. Athletes themselves became first products and then brands. Today, their image is often managed by their direct sponsors and they are coached to &ldquo;say nice things&rdquo; about the sponsors of events, who made it possible for them to compete. The organizers of major tournaments, which attract hundreds of millions of spectators through the media, have become adept at milking every possible profit out of their events and the performing athletes, even when their health may be at risk.

The sport, in other words, has become the window dressing of an industry. The athletes, to a large extent interchangeable &mdash; with the exception of stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic &mdash; have become their cash cow or the goose that lays the golden eggs. Djokovic,&nbsp;followed by Nadal, has allowed himself to wonder out loud how many more golden eggs their industrial masters will allow them to lay.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/culture/australian-open-tennis-novak-djokovic-sports-news-25095/">article </a>was published originally in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>.

Playing in the hot Australian summer, Djokovic says tennis is more of a business than a sport.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic came back from six months off the tennis circuit due to an elbow injury to play the Australian Open at the start of the new season. The first of four grand slam tournaments between January and September takes place in Melbourne at the height of Australia’s summer. In recent years, it has become sport’s most dramatic illustration of the effects of global warming. Year after year, daytime temperatures climb to increasingly unbearable levels for the players, many of whom are forced to retire before completing their best-of-five set match. Early in the tournament, after several hours struggling in extreme heat to defeat Gael Monfils, Djokovic expressed his growing concern. Here is how he describes the state of tennis today: “Our sport has become an industry. It’s more business than a sport. At times I don’t like that. Of course, we’re all blessed to have great financial compensation, great lives. I’m very grateful for that. At the same time, what is most important for us is our health and what happens after our careers, after you’re 30, 35.” This raises a serious question: Does it make sense to call an individual sport in which two players strike a ball on opposite sides of a net an industry? Perhaps the word “industry” has changed its meaning. Here is today’s 3D definition: Industry: Every human activity from which a profit can be earned. Formerly, industry only applied to those human activities that required high levels of investment and organization to produce and distribute goods. CONTEXTUAL NOTE Sport is one of the mainstays of the attention economy. When traditionally shared social values end up in tatters as a result of ever-increasing consumerist individualism, people turn to competitive sport as an alternative to religion, patriotism and politics — on which no one can agree — to anchor their loyalties and even their identity. The movers and shakers of the attention economy have seized the occasion and progressively exploited the trend to the point at which the athletes themselves have become products and the most successful ones brands in their own right. The uncontested stars of their sport attract far more revenue from their chosen corporate sponsors than from the increasingly well-endowed prize money they earn from competing. Djokovic doesn’t fail to express his gratitude for the windfall this represents for his own well-being. But in moments like these, when it becomes obvious that the power of commercial interests dwarfs the power and skill of finely tuned athletes and endangers their livelihood, the Serbian champion allows himself to express some minor misgivings about the cynicism of a system more focused on a sponsor’s bottom line than the court’s rectangular white lines and the players’ longevity. HISTORICAL NOTE There is a double movement in the modern history of sports and tennis in particular. Amateur sports were long considered the ideal. To qualify for the Olympic Games and to participate in a tennis grand slam (Paris, Wimbledon, New York, Melbourne) one had to be an amateur. Pros were not allowed to compete. As a result, for most of the 20th-century amateur athletes were often held in higher esteem than professionals. Exactly 50 years ago, in 1968, the four prestigious grand slam tennis tournaments became “Opens,” allowing professional tennis players to compete for the first time. The growing popularity of televised sporting events opened the door to sponsorship on a dramatically new level. Famous athletes had always been courted by commercial interests, but this is when the trend to brand everything began. Athletes themselves became first products and then brands. Today, their image is often managed by their direct sponsors and they are coached to “say nice things” about the sponsors of events, who made it possible for them to compete. The organizers of major tournaments, which attract hundreds of millions of spectators through the media, have become adept at milking every possible profit out of their events and the performing athletes, even when their health may be at risk. The sport, in other words, has become the window dressing of an industry. The athletes, to a large extent interchangeable — with the exception of stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — have become their cash cow or the goose that lays the golden eggs. Djokovic, followed by Nadal, has allowed himself to wonder out loud how many more golden eggs their industrial masters will allow them to lay. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) This article was published originally in the Fair Observer.

Opinion: Is Tennis an “Industry”?

Stan Wawrinka d&nbsp;Ricardas Berankis,&nbsp;6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2)

Former champion Stan Wawrinka was taken to four sets before winning his first match since knee surgery in July at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

The three-time Grand Slam winner downed Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Hisense Arena.

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The man. ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StanWawrinka</a> <a href="https://t.co/RDCXrLzNTi">pic.twitter.com/RDCXrLzNTi</a>
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It was a confidence booster for the 2014 Melbourne Park champion who had a troubled lead-in to the year&#39;s opening Grand Slam, pulling out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

The Swiss star, who defeated Rafael Nadal to win in 2014, has slipped to nine in the world rankings, having not played since his first-round Wimbledon loss to Russian Daniil Medvedev six months ago.

&quot;It was a tough battle and I&#39;m really happy to win my first match here after six months out,&quot; Wawrinka said.

Alexander Zverev d&nbsp;Thomas Fabbiano,&nbsp;6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

Young German star Alexander Zverev needed a hard-fought three sets to get through his opening encounter at the Australian Open on Tuesday and spoke of his search for greater consistency.

The world No.4 spent 2hr 22min on Rod Laver Arena before claiming a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 win over 73rd-ranked Italian Thomas Fabbiano.

Zverev, at the vanguard of the &quot;NextGen&quot; brigade, will face fellow German Peter Gojowczyk in the second round.

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&quot;My dog doesn&#39;t even realise who I am, so, you know, nothing changes at home.&quot; 
 
Sascha Zverev may be Top 5 but that doesn&#39;t matter to much his pup...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/SNRVjTwNeq">pic.twitter.com/SNRVjTwNeq</a>
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While the 20-year-old won five titles and was one of just four players to beat Roger Federer last year, he has yet to get beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam.

&quot;I think last year I was pretty consistent, apart from the end of the year,&quot; Zverev said.

&quot;I think my game is getting more consistent with age as well. I think that&#39;s also something that is a factor of maturity.

&quot;So I&#39;m just trying to get better every single day, and that&#39;s what I&#39;m here for,&quot; he added.

Novak Djokovic d&nbsp;Donald Young,&nbsp;6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Six-times champion Novak Djokovic&nbsp;looked the part&nbsp;as&nbsp;he powered to a convincing&nbsp;first-round&nbsp;victory at the Australian Open on Tuesday on his return from an elbow injury.

The 12-times Grand Slam champion, seeded an unfamiliar 14, was too strong for American Donald Young, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-4&nbsp;in 1hr 51min on Margaret Court Arena.

It was an impressive performance, with the Serb breaking Young&#39;s left-handed serve six times, hitting 33 winners and conceding only 27 unforced errors.

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The Nole of old. 
 
Full match report of <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a>&#39;s triumphant return to Grand Slam action ➡️<a href="https://t.co/NM22di4I6x">https://t.co/NM22di4I6x</a> <a href="https://t.co/NryKXCEKqR">pic.twitter.com/NryKXCEKqR</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/953166187151552513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;There is no better place to start than here in Australia, I love coming here, I love playing here,&quot; Djokovic told the crowd.

&quot;It&#39;s been a long period without any official matches but I spent as much quality time as I could with my family.

&quot;I wanted to start with the right intensity, which I have, I played perfect tennis in the first couple of sets and Donald came back in the third set.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-sharapova-enters-second-round-after-beating-tatjana-maria-29648" target="_blank">Australian Open: Sharapova enters second round after beating Tatjana Maria</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-belinda-bencic-on-first-round-win-over-venus-williams-29570" target="_blank">Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The three-time Grand Slam winner downed Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Hisense Arena

Stan Wawrinka d Ricardas Berankis, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) Former champion Stan Wawrinka was taken to four sets before winning his first match since knee surgery in July at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The three-time Grand Slam winner downed Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Hisense Arena. The man. ???? #AusOpen @StanWawrinka pic.twitter.com/RDCXrLzNTi — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2018 × It was a confidence booster for the 2014 Melbourne Park champion who had a troubled lead-in to the year's opening Grand Slam, pulling out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. The Swiss star, who defeated Rafael Nadal to win in 2014, has slipped to nine in the world rankings, having not played since his first-round Wimbledon loss to Russian Daniil Medvedev six months ago. "It was a tough battle and I'm really happy to win my first match here after six months out," Wawrinka said. Alexander Zverev d Thomas Fabbiano, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 Young German star Alexander Zverev needed a hard-fought three sets to get through his opening encounter at the Australian Open on Tuesday and spoke of his search for greater consistency. The world No.4 spent 2hr 22min on Rod Laver Arena before claiming a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 win over 73rd-ranked Italian Thomas Fabbiano. Zverev, at the vanguard of the "NextGen" brigade, will face fellow German Peter Gojowczyk in the second round. "My dog doesn't even realise who I am, so, you know, nothing changes at home." Sascha Zverev may be Top 5 but that doesn't matter to much his pup...#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/SNRVjTwNeq — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2018 × While the 20-year-old won five titles and was one of just four players to beat Roger Federer last year, he has yet to get beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam. "I think last year I was pretty consistent, apart from the end of the year," Zverev said. "I think my game is getting more consistent with age as well. I think that's also something that is a factor of maturity. "So I'm just trying to get better every single day, and that's what I'm here for," he added. Novak Djokovic d Donald Young, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 Six-times champion Novak Djokovic looked the part as he powered to a convincing first-round victory at the Australian Open on Tuesday on his return from an elbow injury. The 12-times Grand Slam champion, seeded an unfamiliar 14, was too strong for American Donald Young, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in 1hr 51min on Margaret Court Arena. It was an impressive performance, with the Serb breaking Young's left-handed serve six times, hitting 33 winners and conceding only 27 unforced errors. The Nole of old. Full match report of @DjokerNole's triumphant return to Grand Slam action ➡️https://t.co/NM22di4I6x pic.twitter.com/NryKXCEKqR — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2018 × "There is no better place to start than here in Australia, I love coming here, I love playing here," Djokovic told the crowd. "It's been a long period without any official matches but I spent as much quality time as I could with my family. "I wanted to start with the right intensity, which I have, I played perfect tennis in the first couple of sets and Donald came back in the third set." Australian Open: Sharapova enters second round after beating Tatjana Maria Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams

Australian Open: Wawrinka, Zverev, Djokovic enter second round

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated&nbsp;Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by&nbsp;Tomas Berdych&nbsp;in the quarterfinals.

The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He&nbsp;was in good form and full of optimism&nbsp;as he played exceptionally well.

The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner&nbsp;could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that&nbsp;he felt &quot;great&quot; after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his&nbsp;record seventh Australian Open crown next week.

&quot;I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court,&quot; he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm.

&quot;I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well.&quot;

&quot;There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year,&quot; he admitted.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Really looking forward to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TieBreakTens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TieBreakTens</a> Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It&rsquo;s a great line up and I can&rsquo;t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomasberdych?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomasberdych</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiemDomi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiemDomi</a>.. ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryPointCounts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryPointCounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSc3bUkICA">pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA</a>
&mdash; Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/950599664923037701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;I personally didn&#39;t know what&#39;s going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I&#39;m here and so I&#39;m hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I&#39;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t want to be over-confident, but I&#39;m very, very happy with how it went today,&quot; added the 30-year-old.

&quot;I don&#39;t say I&#39;m at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open,&nbsp;&nbsp;but it was not meant to be.

&quot;I&#39;ll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation.&quot;

&quot;Especially the serve &ndash; that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised.&quot;

Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb.

&quot;I&#39;m free of fever and healthy again,&quot; the Austrian said. &quot;I&#39;m still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I&#39;ll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I&#39;ll be fine for the Open.&quot;

&quot;The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s important to find a good rhythm.

&quot;Overall, I&#39;m quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;m hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I&rsquo;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Djokovic has not played since Wimbledon 2017 due to an elbow injury, now he will chase a record 7th Australian Open crown next week

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He was in good form and full of optimism as he played exceptionally well. The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that he felt "great" after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem. Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his record seventh Australian Open crown next week. "I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court," he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm. "I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well." "There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year," he admitted. Really looking forward to #TieBreakTens Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It’s a great line up and I can’t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? @RafaelNadal @stanwawrinka @tomasberdych @ThiemDomi.. ???? #EveryPointCounts pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 9, 2018 × "I personally didn't know what's going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I'm here and so I'm hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I'll be ready for the Open." "I don't want to be over-confident, but I'm very, very happy with how it went today," added the 30-year-old. "I don't say I'm at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open, but it was not meant to be. "I'll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation." "Especially the serve – that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised." Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb. "I'm free of fever and healthy again," the Austrian said. "I'm still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I'll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I'll be fine for the Open." "The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable," he said. "It's important to find a good rhythm. "Overall, I'm quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides." "I'm hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I’ll be ready for the Open."

Very happy with return ahead of Australian Open: Djokovic

Former world number one Novak Djokovic today withdrew from next week&#39;s Qatar Open, casting doubt on his participation at the Australian Open later in January.

Qatar is the second tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion was the top seed in Doha, but in a statement, he said he would not be able to defend the title he won by beating Andy Murray last year.

His withdrawal comes just 24 hours after the injury forced him to drop out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.

&quot;Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for the better since yesterday,&quot; said Djokovic.

&quot;I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from (the) ATP tournament in Doha.&quot;

The Serb added: &quot;Only when I&#39;m 100 per cent ready to play, I will be able to come back.

&quot;I hope it will be soon. I want to thank everyone for patience and understanding.&quot;

The latest announcement raises fresh doubts over the long-term future of the 30-year-old and more immediately his availability for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.

In recent years, Djokovic has used the Qatar tournament as a valuable warm-up for the Australian Open.

In 2016, after beating Rafa Nadal in the Qatar final he went on to claim his sixth Australian title.

Last year in Doha, he ended then world number one Murray&#39;s 28-match winning streak to claim his second Qatar title in a riveting final.

Djokovic was targeting Doha as his first match since his quarter-finals loss at Wimbledon in July this year.

Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, world ranked number five, has now been made the Qatar Open number one seed.

The draw for the tournament takes place later on Saturday.

Qatar Open tournament director admitted Djokovic &#39;will surely be missed&#39;.&nbsp;

It is the 2nd tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury

Former world number one Novak Djokovic today withdrew from next week's Qatar Open, casting doubt on his participation at the Australian Open later in January. Qatar is the second tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury. The 12-time Grand Slam champion was the top seed in Doha, but in a statement, he said he would not be able to defend the title he won by beating Andy Murray last year. His withdrawal comes just 24 hours after the injury forced him to drop out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi. "Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for the better since yesterday," said Djokovic. "I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from (the) ATP tournament in Doha." The Serb added: "Only when I'm 100 per cent ready to play, I will be able to come back. "I hope it will be soon. I want to thank everyone for patience and understanding." The latest announcement raises fresh doubts over the long-term future of the 30-year-old and more immediately his availability for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, which begins on January 15. In recent years, Djokovic has used the Qatar tournament as a valuable warm-up for the Australian Open. In 2016, after beating Rafa Nadal in the Qatar final he went on to claim his sixth Australian title. Last year in Doha, he ended then world number one Murray's 28-match winning streak to claim his second Qatar title in a riveting final. Djokovic was targeting Doha as his first match since his quarter-finals loss at Wimbledon in July this year. Austria's Dominic Thiem, world ranked number five, has now been made the Qatar Open number one seed. The draw for the tournament takes place later on Saturday. Qatar Open tournament director admitted Djokovic 'will surely be missed'.

Australia doubts as Novak Djokovic pulls out of Qatar Open

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic.

Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0.

Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39.

&quot;100 matches, I can&#39;t believe it, that&#39;s a lot,&quot; said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don&#39;t see that every day. I&#39;m so happy to be through.

&quot;I&#39;m very pleased with how I&#39;m playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions.

&quot;It&#39;s like going to work, you can&#39;t produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible.&quot;

Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury.

On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners.

He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set.

Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday&#39;s Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem.

The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One.

Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

&quot;It&#39;s my elbow. It&#39;s been bothering me for a year and a half. It&#39;s unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this,&quot; said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals.

&quot;I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day.

&quot;I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play.

&quot;All the treatments couldn&#39;t really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most.&quot;

Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal&#39;s defeat against Gilles Muller.

Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino.

&quot;Those kinds of circumstances don&#39;t really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured.

&quot;I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now.&quot;

Decline

The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn&#39;t lost to the Czech in four years.

But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving.

Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title.

He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals.

With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time.

But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set.

The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio.

But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic&#39;s woes with a break in the second game of the second set.

That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Federer becomes the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals, elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic. Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday's final. Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0. Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39. "100 matches, I can't believe it, that's a lot," said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title. "I'm very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don't see that every day. I'm so happy to be through. "I'm very pleased with how I'm playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions. "It's like going to work, you can't produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible." Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury. On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners. He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday's Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych. Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem. The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One. Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday's final. "It's my elbow. It's been bothering me for a year and a half. It's unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this," said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals. "I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day. "I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play. "All the treatments couldn't really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most." Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning. The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal's defeat against Gilles Muller. Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino. "Those kinds of circumstances don't really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it," Djokovic said. "I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit. "It wasn't to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured. "I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now." Decline The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn't lost to the Czech in four years. But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving. Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title. He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals. With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time. But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set. The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio. But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic's woes with a break in the second game of the second set. That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Wimbledon: Federer cruises, Djokovic defaults

Double French Open champion Jim Courier said Novak Djokovic&#39;s decision to work with so-called &quot;guru&quot;&nbsp;Pepe Imaz was partly to blame for his shock defeat at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

Defending champion Djokovic, who recently split with his long-term coaching team and worked with former great Andre Agassi in the first week in Paris, crumbled to a 7-6(5) 6-3 6-0 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals.

The last set whizzed by in 20 minutes as Djokovic appeared to be going through the motions -- falling short of a seventh successive French Open semi-final.

&quot;The problem when one of the people on your team is all about love and peace and has been part of the camp for over a year, it&#39;s not something that you can fall back on when you are pushed into a hole,&quot; American Courier, working for British broadcaster ITV, said.

&quot;Novak showed no fight and maybe it was partly down to the windy conditions. He despises playing in the wind. He really seemed to accept the outcome well before it was conclusive.&quot;

Courier said world number two Djokovic must seek out Agassi to try and rediscover the spark that appears to be missing.

&quot;Andre knows how to broach this type of thing and will ask the right questions to see how Novak can avoid this kind of thing going forward,&quot; Courier said.

&quot;But there are questions remaining about Novak. Since Wimbledon last year there have been so many question marks about what&#39;s going on, on and off the court.&quot;

Imaz, a former Spanish player, has been described as a &quot;spiritual guru&quot; who uses the philosophy &quot;peace and love&quot; at his tennis academy. Djokovic linked up with him last year.

(Reuters)

'...He despises playing in the wind. He really seemed to accept the outcome well before it was conclusive'

Double French Open champion Jim Courier said Novak Djokovic's decision to work with so-called "guru" Pepe Imaz was partly to blame for his shock defeat at Roland Garros on Wednesday. Defending champion Djokovic, who recently split with his long-term coaching team and worked with former great Andre Agassi in the first week in Paris, crumbled to a 7-6(5) 6-3 6-0 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals. The last set whizzed by in 20 minutes as Djokovic appeared to be going through the motions -- falling short of a seventh successive French Open semi-final. "The problem when one of the people on your team is all about love and peace and has been part of the camp for over a year, it's not something that you can fall back on when you are pushed into a hole," American Courier, working for British broadcaster ITV, said. "Novak showed no fight and maybe it was partly down to the windy conditions. He despises playing in the wind. He really seemed to accept the outcome well before it was conclusive." Courier said world number two Djokovic must seek out Agassi to try and rediscover the spark that appears to be missing. "Andre knows how to broach this type of thing and will ask the right questions to see how Novak can avoid this kind of thing going forward," Courier said. "But there are questions remaining about Novak. Since Wimbledon last year there have been so many question marks about what's going on, on and off the court." Imaz, a former Spanish player, has been described as a "spiritual guru" who uses the philosophy "peace and love" at his tennis academy. Djokovic linked up with him last year. (Reuters)

Djokovic eliminated from French Open: 'Showed no fight', says Courier

Nine-time champion Rafa Nadal is back in action as he takes on fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter-finals, with a possible last-four meeting with Novak Djokovic looming.

While fourth seed Nadal, playing one of his best Roland Garros, is expected to overwhelm his compatriot on Court Philippe Chatrier, defending champion Novak Djokovic can expect tougher opposition against Austrian Dominic Thiem, the sixth seed.

Both matches were rescheduled after rain disrupted Tuesday&#39;s programme. No rain is expected on Wednesday although the wind could be a factor.

World number one Andy Murray, who has been improving since arriving in Paris, takes on Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori, who was handed his first grand-slam bagel in six years in the third round.

Former champion Stan Wawrinka will be the clear favourite when he takes on Marin Cilic as the top four looks set for a semi-final reunion.

The women&#39;s draw is side open and Caroline Garcia will hope to become the first French woman to reach the semi-finals since Marion Bartoli in 2011 when she faces world number three Karolina Pliskova.

In a match dubbed &#39;the final before the final&#39;, Romanian Simona Halep plays Ukraine&#39;s Elina Svitolina.

(Reuters)

Djokovic and Nadal are each one win away from meeting in the finals, but Novak has a tougher draw

Nine-time champion Rafa Nadal is back in action as he takes on fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter-finals, with a possible last-four meeting with Novak Djokovic looming. While fourth seed Nadal, playing one of his best Roland Garros, is expected to overwhelm his compatriot on Court Philippe Chatrier, defending champion Novak Djokovic can expect tougher opposition against Austrian Dominic Thiem, the sixth seed. Both matches were rescheduled after rain disrupted Tuesday's programme. No rain is expected on Wednesday although the wind could be a factor. World number one Andy Murray, who has been improving since arriving in Paris, takes on Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori, who was handed his first grand-slam bagel in six years in the third round. Former champion Stan Wawrinka will be the clear favourite when he takes on Marin Cilic as the top four looks set for a semi-final reunion. The women's draw is side open and Caroline Garcia will hope to become the first French woman to reach the semi-finals since Marion Bartoli in 2011 when she faces world number three Karolina Pliskova. In a match dubbed 'the final before the final', Romanian Simona Halep plays Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. (Reuters)

Ominous Nadal back on court in Paris

Novak Djokovic revealed on Sunday that American great Andre Agassi would be his new coach, but said they did not yet have a &quot;long-term commitment&quot;.

&quot;I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he`s gonna be there. We`ll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,&quot; said Djokovic, beaten 6-4, 6-3 in the Rome Masters final on Sunday by 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev.

&quot;We don`t have any long-term commitment. It`s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit.&quot;

Djokovic returns to Paris next weekend as the defending French Open champion but looking to improve his clay court game after an inconsistent spell.

He parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month, having also ended a three-year relationship with six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker at the end of last season, in a bid to get back to his brilliant best.

Given his performances of late, he will be hoping 47-year-old Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion can make a positive contribution.

The Serbian was outplayed by Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal on his way to defeat in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters last week.&nbsp;

And despite reaching the final in Rome on Sunday, Djokovic looked well below his clinical best before losing to German starlet Zverev in 1hr 21min.

Next up is his defence of his title in the French capital, and Djokovic added: &quot;He (Agassi) will not stay the whole tournament. He`s gonna stay only to a certain time, and then we`ll see after that what`s gonna happen. Obviously, Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player. He has been through everything that I`m going through. You know, on the court he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him. But also, on the other hand, he`s someone that nurtures the family values, philanthropy work. He`s a very humble man, is very educated in just -- you know, he`s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot. I`m very excited to see what is ahead of us.&quot;

Agassi, unlike television pundit Becker, has been away from the sport for a considerable time having retired in 2006.

Djokovic said he managed to seduce Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion, smiling: &quot;I persuaded him.&quot;

He added: &quot;He`s someone that has been so successful in this sport, and he`s a legend of our sport. He`s made a mark in this sport forever. He`s won everything there is to win in tennis.

&quot;You know, he was a revolutionary player because he had this charisma, he had this, you know, approach to tennis and to life that was quite different from others.

&quot;That`s why he was so interesting. Yes, he has been away from the tour for last 10, 15 years, but speaking with him, he`s been definitely following up closely all the matches, the big matches, especially on the TV.&quot;

&quot;It was his call whether or not he wants to take that step and, you know, try to work with me. He has accepted it, and I`m very grateful for that. It`s exciting, of course. I`m very happy about it.&quot;

(Reuters)

The defending French Open champion parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month

Novak Djokovic revealed on Sunday that American great Andre Agassi would be his new coach, but said they did not yet have a "long-term commitment". "I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he`s gonna be there. We`ll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us," said Djokovic, beaten 6-4, 6-3 in the Rome Masters final on Sunday by 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev. "We don`t have any long-term commitment. It`s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit." Djokovic returns to Paris next weekend as the defending French Open champion but looking to improve his clay court game after an inconsistent spell. He parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month, having also ended a three-year relationship with six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker at the end of last season, in a bid to get back to his brilliant best. Given his performances of late, he will be hoping 47-year-old Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion can make a positive contribution. The Serbian was outplayed by Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal on his way to defeat in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters last week. And despite reaching the final in Rome on Sunday, Djokovic looked well below his clinical best before losing to German starlet Zverev in 1hr 21min. Next up is his defence of his title in the French capital, and Djokovic added: "He (Agassi) will not stay the whole tournament. He`s gonna stay only to a certain time, and then we`ll see after that what`s gonna happen. Obviously, Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player. He has been through everything that I`m going through. You know, on the court he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him. But also, on the other hand, he`s someone that nurtures the family values, philanthropy work. He`s a very humble man, is very educated in just -- you know, he`s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot. I`m very excited to see what is ahead of us." Agassi, unlike television pundit Becker, has been away from the sport for a considerable time having retired in 2006. Djokovic said he managed to seduce Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion, smiling: "I persuaded him." He added: "He`s someone that has been so successful in this sport, and he`s a legend of our sport. He`s made a mark in this sport forever. He`s won everything there is to win in tennis. "You know, he was a revolutionary player because he had this charisma, he had this, you know, approach to tennis and to life that was quite different from others. "That`s why he was so interesting. Yes, he has been away from the tour for last 10, 15 years, but speaking with him, he`s been definitely following up closely all the matches, the big matches, especially on the TV." "It was his call whether or not he wants to take that step and, you know, try to work with me. He has accepted it, and I`m very grateful for that. It`s exciting, of course. I`m very happy about it." (Reuters)

Andre Agassi to be Novak Djokovic's new coach

Novak Djokovic overcame having to play twice in a day before cruising into the final of the Rome Masters with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem on Saturday.

Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday.

But the setback seemed only to inspire the 30-year-old Serbian second seed, as he set up what is expected to be a mouthwatering final, and first meeting, with Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev.

&quot;It was my best performance of the year,&quot; said Djokovic after his 59-minute win over Thiem who had knocked out Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

Zverev, 20, became the youngest player in a decade to reach a Masters final when he clinched a gutsy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win over big-serving American John Isner.

Djokovic was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007.

Zverev will climb to a new career high in the rankings at number 14 by reaching the final and would break into the top 10 with the title.

&quot;I don&#39;t look at these kind of stats, who is the youngest player to have a Masters 1000 title or things like this. I try to play match by match and try to improve,&quot; said Zverev, who fired 12 aces and 41 winners past the 32-year-old Isner.

Thiem, beaten to the Madrid Masters title by Nadal last week, avenged his loss by dumping Spain&#39;s former seven-time Rome champion out in the quarters on Friday.

But the Austrian&#39;s dream run was quickly brought to an end by a clinical Djokovic on Saturday as the Serbian took his record to 5-0 against the 23-year-old.

In the WTA event, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire due to a neck injury from her semi-final against Ukraine&#39;s Elina Svitolina.

The Spanish third seed was 1-4 down after just 22 minutes in the first set when she quit, handing the eighth-seeded Svitolina a place in Sunday&#39;s final against Romania&#39;s Simona Halep.

Svitolina will chase a fourth title of the year after trophy triumphs in Taiwan, Dubai and Istanbul.

Muguruza had needed three sets to beat Venus Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday night.

&quot;I didn&#39;t want to leave Rome without trying to play,&quot; said Muguruza.

Sixth-seeded Halep, the champion in Madrid last weekend, reached her first final in Rome after sweeping aside Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in her semi-final.

&quot;Sometimes a win over a top player gives you confidence,&quot; Halep said after her semi-final.

&quot;Sometimes the work you do before the tournaments gives you confidence that you are ready to go. Sometimes just winning some matches, tough ones, even if in three sets, those are the most important matches.&quot;

(AFP)

Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday.

Novak Djokovic overcame having to play twice in a day before cruising into the final of the Rome Masters with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem on Saturday. Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday. But the setback seemed only to inspire the 30-year-old Serbian second seed, as he set up what is expected to be a mouthwatering final, and first meeting, with Germany's Alexander Zverev. "It was my best performance of the year," said Djokovic after his 59-minute win over Thiem who had knocked out Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. Zverev, 20, became the youngest player in a decade to reach a Masters final when he clinched a gutsy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win over big-serving American John Isner. Djokovic was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007. Zverev will climb to a new career high in the rankings at number 14 by reaching the final and would break into the top 10 with the title. "I don't look at these kind of stats, who is the youngest player to have a Masters 1000 title or things like this. I try to play match by match and try to improve," said Zverev, who fired 12 aces and 41 winners past the 32-year-old Isner. Thiem, beaten to the Madrid Masters title by Nadal last week, avenged his loss by dumping Spain's former seven-time Rome champion out in the quarters on Friday. But the Austrian's dream run was quickly brought to an end by a clinical Djokovic on Saturday as the Serbian took his record to 5-0 against the 23-year-old. In the WTA event, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire due to a neck injury from her semi-final against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. The Spanish third seed was 1-4 down after just 22 minutes in the first set when she quit, handing the eighth-seeded Svitolina a place in Sunday's final against Romania's Simona Halep. Svitolina will chase a fourth title of the year after trophy triumphs in Taiwan, Dubai and Istanbul. Muguruza had needed three sets to beat Venus Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday night. "I didn't want to leave Rome without trying to play," said Muguruza. Sixth-seeded Halep, the champion in Madrid last weekend, reached her first final in Rome after sweeping aside Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in her semi-final. "Sometimes a win over a top player gives you confidence," Halep said after her semi-final. "Sometimes the work you do before the tournaments gives you confidence that you are ready to go. Sometimes just winning some matches, tough ones, even if in three sets, those are the most important matches." (AFP)

Djokovic notches 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem, sails into Rome Masters final

Novak Djokovic&#39;s preparations for his French Open title defence suffered another setback Friday when he was defeated by Belgium&#39;s David Goffin 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals.

The Serb saved four match points but slumped to his first loss to Goffin after five successive wins on a fifth match point, hindered by a time violation as he prepared to serve.

World number two Djokovic faced 17 break points and saved 13 in his frustrating marathon.

The 29-year-old Serb battled for two and three quarter hours against the 10th seeded Belgian, leaving Rafael Nadal to play under the floodlights against Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal is seeking a record tenth title at the Country Club and will be the favourite after Djokovic joined world number one Andy Murray and third seed Stan Wawrinka on the casualty list.

&quot;It&#39;s just unfortunate I missed my chances in the beginning of the third set to go a double break up,&quot; said Djokovic who had led 4-2 in the decider.

The Serb was angry over the playing conditions, made difficult by a sharp shaft of light shooting across the surface while most of the arena was in shade.&nbsp;

&quot;In the end, one side of the court was terrible, almost unplayable,&quot; he said.

&quot;I started slowly probably because I played two long matches. But I thought as the match progressed I was feeling okay.&nbsp;

&quot;I was physically fine, we had a lot of exchanges, a lot of rallies. David is playing very quick. You know, he&#39;s a fast player.

&quot;I thought I played very, very well for, you know, a set and a half, from the start of the second set. Then, there was that unfortunate game when I dropped my serve, the match turned around. I had my chances, I definitely did. I just didn&#39;t use them.&quot;

Murray&#39;s conqueror Albert Ramos-Vinolas scored his second upset in as many days, stunning fifth seeded Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.

He will next face French 11th seed Lucas Pouille, who beat Uruguay&#39;s Pablo Cuevas 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.

Pouille will come into his first Masters 1000 semi-final with a precise game plan.

&quot;Ramos is hitting hard, but he doesn&#39;t play fast. He doesn&#39;t like to be under pressure,&quot; said the Frenchman.

&quot;What I did in the first set today, I will also have to do tomorrow to make it difficult for him. I must not let him dictate from the baseline. I have to be the one dictating the points.&quot;

Ramos is also ready.

&quot;I know Pouille, he&#39;s a young player coming very strong. It will be super difficult,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Goffin awaits the winner between nine-time champion Rafel Nadal and Diego Schwartzman

Novak Djokovic's preparations for his French Open title defence suffered another setback Friday when he was defeated by Belgium's David Goffin 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals. The Serb saved four match points but slumped to his first loss to Goffin after five successive wins on a fifth match point, hindered by a time violation as he prepared to serve. World number two Djokovic faced 17 break points and saved 13 in his frustrating marathon. The 29-year-old Serb battled for two and three quarter hours against the 10th seeded Belgian, leaving Rafael Nadal to play under the floodlights against Argentine Diego Schwartzman. Nadal is seeking a record tenth title at the Country Club and will be the favourite after Djokovic joined world number one Andy Murray and third seed Stan Wawrinka on the casualty list. "It's just unfortunate I missed my chances in the beginning of the third set to go a double break up," said Djokovic who had led 4-2 in the decider. The Serb was angry over the playing conditions, made difficult by a sharp shaft of light shooting across the surface while most of the arena was in shade. "In the end, one side of the court was terrible, almost unplayable," he said. "I started slowly probably because I played two long matches. But I thought as the match progressed I was feeling okay. "I was physically fine, we had a lot of exchanges, a lot of rallies. David is playing very quick. You know, he's a fast player. "I thought I played very, very well for, you know, a set and a half, from the start of the second set. Then, there was that unfortunate game when I dropped my serve, the match turned around. I had my chances, I definitely did. I just didn't use them." Murray's conqueror Albert Ramos-Vinolas scored his second upset in as many days, stunning fifth seeded Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2. He will next face French 11th seed Lucas Pouille, who beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-0, 3-6, 7-5. Pouille will come into his first Masters 1000 semi-final with a precise game plan. "Ramos is hitting hard, but he doesn't play fast. He doesn't like to be under pressure," said the Frenchman. "What I did in the first set today, I will also have to do tomorrow to make it difficult for him. I must not let him dictate from the baseline. I have to be the one dictating the points." Ramos is also ready. "I know Pouille, he's a young player coming very strong. It will be super difficult," he said. (AFP)

Monte Carlo Masters: Djokovic dumped out by Goffin

Nick Kyrgios ended three-time champion Novak Djokovic&#39;s reign at Indian Wells on Wednesday, toppling the world number two in the fourth round of the year&#39;s first Masters event.

The 21-year-old Australian triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), notching his second victory over Djokovic in less than two weeks after stunning the Serb in their first career meeting at Acapulco.

Djokovic had won 19 straight matches at Indian Wells in winning the title in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He also won the title in the California desert in 2008 and 2011.

Kyrgios will get a shot at another big name in the quarter-finals. He&#39;ll take on the winner of the fourth-round match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Kyrgios triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), notching his second victory over Djokovic in less than two weeks

Nick Kyrgios ended three-time champion Novak Djokovic's reign at Indian Wells on Wednesday, toppling the world number two in the fourth round of the year's first Masters event. The 21-year-old Australian triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), notching his second victory over Djokovic in less than two weeks after stunning the Serb in their first career meeting at Acapulco. Djokovic had won 19 straight matches at Indian Wells in winning the title in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He also won the title in the California desert in 2008 and 2011. Kyrgios will get a shot at another big name in the quarter-finals. He'll take on the winner of the fourth-round match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. (AFP)

Nick Kyrgios beats defending champion Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells

Uzbek journeyman Denis Istomin pulled off an Australian Open upset for the ages on Thursday when he sent Novak&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;tumbling out of the second round of the grand slam the Serbian has all but dominated for the last seven years.

The 30-year-old world number 117 played the match of his life to hand the six-times champion only his second defeat in 41 matches at Melbourne Park since 2011 with a 7-6(8) 5-7 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 second-round win on Rod Laver Arena.

Istomin, playing in his trademark fluorescent yellow glasses and bandana, let out a huge roar when the 12-times grand slam champion&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;sent a service return long to end an enthralling contest after four hours and 50 minutes.

&quot;All the credit to Denis for playing amazing, he deserved to win,&quot; said reigning championDjokovic&nbsp;after making his earliest exit at a grand slam since 2008.

&quot;I was not pleased with my performance. It was just one of days when you don&#39;t feel that great and the other player is really feeling the ball. That&#39;s sport.&quot;

Istomin, who needed to go to the Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament just to get a wildcard for his 11th Australian Open, was stunned by his own performance.

&quot;First of all I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today,&quot; Istomin said in an on-court interview.

&quot;So much emotion on my mind so I cannot hold it you know but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me.&quot;

To say the odds were stacked against the 117th-ranked Uzbek was an understatement.

Second seed&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;had won all five of their previous meetings, giving up just one set, and had lost to a player ranked outside the top 100 only once since 2010.

Istomin knew he would have to play the best tennis of his life to have even a chance of victory and he produced it in a captivating arm-wrestle of a contest.

Charging out of the gate, Istomin hit seven aces and 27 winners in the opener, taking the match to the world number two and prevailing when&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;hit a return long on his third set point in a 13-minute tiebreaker.

The onslaught continued in the second set, Istomin moving the&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;around the court and smashing winner after winner off his forehand.

Djokovic&nbsp;shouted in frustration, watched his first service success rate slide into the 60th percentile and called for the trainer after feeling a twinge in the back of his leg.

The tide looked to have turned, however, when the Serbian scrambled to save two set points in the second stanza before breaking the Uzbek immediately and serving out to even up the contest.

Djokovic&nbsp;whipped through the third set in a relatively rapid 45 minutes but Istomin, by now nursing his left thigh with an ice-pack at every changeover, would simply not fold.

&quot;I mean it was tough, since third set I get cramping in my leg so I don&#39;t know how I held on,&quot; added Istomin, whose reward for the biggest win of his career is a third-round meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Going for everything, the former world number 33 grabbed an early break in the fourth and, even after&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;broke back, raced to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker before sealing the set to send the match into a decider.

The crowd were expecting the famed&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;fight back in the final set but it was Istomin who ripped a backhand down the line to take an early break before playing some dazzling tennis to beat back every&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;assault and claim a famous win.

(Reuters)

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was beaten in five sets in the second round by Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin

Uzbek journeyman Denis Istomin pulled off an Australian Open upset for the ages on Thursday when he sent Novak Djokovic tumbling out of the second round of the grand slam the Serbian has all but dominated for the last seven years. The 30-year-old world number 117 played the match of his life to hand the six-times champion only his second defeat in 41 matches at Melbourne Park since 2011 with a 7-6(8) 5-7 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 second-round win on Rod Laver Arena. Istomin, playing in his trademark fluorescent yellow glasses and bandana, let out a huge roar when the 12-times grand slam champion Djokovic sent a service return long to end an enthralling contest after four hours and 50 minutes. "All the credit to Denis for playing amazing, he deserved to win," said reigning championDjokovic after making his earliest exit at a grand slam since 2008. "I was not pleased with my performance. It was just one of days when you don't feel that great and the other player is really feeling the ball. That's sport." Istomin, who needed to go to the Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament just to get a wildcard for his 11th Australian Open, was stunned by his own performance. "First of all I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today," Istomin said in an on-court interview. "So much emotion on my mind so I cannot hold it you know but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me." To say the odds were stacked against the 117th-ranked Uzbek was an understatement. Second seed Djokovic had won all five of their previous meetings, giving up just one set, and had lost to a player ranked outside the top 100 only once since 2010. Istomin knew he would have to play the best tennis of his life to have even a chance of victory and he produced it in a captivating arm-wrestle of a contest. Charging out of the gate, Istomin hit seven aces and 27 winners in the opener, taking the match to the world number two and prevailing when Djokovic hit a return long on his third set point in a 13-minute tiebreaker. The onslaught continued in the second set, Istomin moving the Djokovic around the court and smashing winner after winner off his forehand. Djokovic shouted in frustration, watched his first service success rate slide into the 60th percentile and called for the trainer after feeling a twinge in the back of his leg. The tide looked to have turned, however, when the Serbian scrambled to save two set points in the second stanza before breaking the Uzbek immediately and serving out to even up the contest. Djokovic whipped through the third set in a relatively rapid 45 minutes but Istomin, by now nursing his left thigh with an ice-pack at every changeover, would simply not fold. "I mean it was tough, since third set I get cramping in my leg so I don't know how I held on," added Istomin, whose reward for the biggest win of his career is a third-round meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. Going for everything, the former world number 33 grabbed an early break in the fourth and, even after Djokovic broke back, raced to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker before sealing the set to send the match into a decider. The crowd were expecting the famed Djokovic fight back in the final set but it was Istomin who ripped a backhand down the line to take an early break before playing some dazzling tennis to beat back every Djokovic assault and claim a famous win. (Reuters)

Defending champion Djokovic knocked out of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic may have cursed the draw for throwing up Fernando Verdasco as the first opponent in his Australian Open defence but the tough match-up against the Spanish giant-killer ultimately proved a blessing in disguise.&nbsp;The Serb launched his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an impressive 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2 win over the man who knocked Rafa Nadal out in the first round of last year&#39;s tournament.

Djokovic was forced to save five match points to beat Verdasco at the recent Qatar Open and was broken twice during a thrilling second set under the lights of Rod Laver Arena.&nbsp;But the second seed defended brilliantly to defuse the veteran lefthander&#39;s power game and closed out the two-hour 20-minute clash.

&quot;I knew that winning the second set would be crucial because I definitely didn&#39;t want to give him wings,&quot; Djokovic told reporters after setting up a second round clash against Uzbek Denis Istomin.

&quot;I didn&#39;t want to have him start swinging at the ball, as he knows. I don&#39;t know how he felt about the draw. But I personally think that I could have drawn... an easier player. But nothing is easy obviously,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;From one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point,&quot; Djokovic felt after the match.

Djokovic has owned Melbourne Park for almost a decade and his continued reign seemed assured as he roared to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Verdasco felled Nadal in five sets last year by swinging at every ball and his aggression was rewarded when he broke Djokovic twice early in the second.

But he was furious with himself for letting the chances slip, cursing in Spanish and bouncing his racket off the court in disgust. He double-faulted at 4-4 to give Djokovic two break points but saved them both before holding serve, leaving the Serb yelling out his own frustrations from his chair at the change of ends.

It took a moment of Verdasco madness to open the door, the Spaniard wafting a sliced backhand well beyond the baseline to concede two set points. Djokovic wrapped up the tiebreak with a monster serve and sprinted away in the third set. Beaten emphatically in a string of baseline skirmishes, Verdasco fell behind 4-1 and he threw his racket at his chair.

It felt more like a towel being tossed into a ring as there was no stopping Djokovic in full flight.

&quot;It feels like home,&quot; said the Serb on the court where he won his sixth Australian Open title a year ago.

&quot;Already in the last couple of weeks, I was really eager to come back to the court and get into the competitive mode, just be back in the office,&quot; the Australian Open champion declared.

(Reuters)

Defending champion Novak Djokovic will now take on Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the second round

Novak Djokovic may have cursed the draw for throwing up Fernando Verdasco as the first opponent in his Australian Open defence but the tough match-up against the Spanish giant-killer ultimately proved a blessing in disguise. The Serb launched his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an impressive 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2 win over the man who knocked Rafa Nadal out in the first round of last year's tournament. Djokovic was forced to save five match points to beat Verdasco at the recent Qatar Open and was broken twice during a thrilling second set under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. But the second seed defended brilliantly to defuse the veteran lefthander's power game and closed out the two-hour 20-minute clash. "I knew that winning the second set would be crucial because I definitely didn't want to give him wings," Djokovic told reporters after setting up a second round clash against Uzbek Denis Istomin. "I didn't want to have him start swinging at the ball, as he knows. I don't know how he felt about the draw. But I personally think that I could have drawn... an easier player. But nothing is easy obviously," Djokovic said. "From one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point," Djokovic felt after the match. Djokovic has owned Melbourne Park for almost a decade and his continued reign seemed assured as he roared to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Verdasco felled Nadal in five sets last year by swinging at every ball and his aggression was rewarded when he broke Djokovic twice early in the second. But he was furious with himself for letting the chances slip, cursing in Spanish and bouncing his racket off the court in disgust. He double-faulted at 4-4 to give Djokovic two break points but saved them both before holding serve, leaving the Serb yelling out his own frustrations from his chair at the change of ends. It took a moment of Verdasco madness to open the door, the Spaniard wafting a sliced backhand well beyond the baseline to concede two set points. Djokovic wrapped up the tiebreak with a monster serve and sprinted away in the third set. Beaten emphatically in a string of baseline skirmishes, Verdasco fell behind 4-1 and he threw his racket at his chair. It felt more like a towel being tossed into a ring as there was no stopping Djokovic in full flight. "It feels like home," said the Serb on the court where he won his sixth Australian Open title a year ago. "Already in the last couple of weeks, I was really eager to come back to the court and get into the competitive mode, just be back in the office," the Australian Open champion declared. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Djokovic beats Verdasco to enter second round

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay.

The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world.&nbsp;Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments.

They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed.&nbsp;Leading the pack are the likes of Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, Germany&#39;s Alex Zverev and Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios.

Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark.&nbsp;&quot;These guys are doing well,&quot; he said in The Australian newspaper.

&quot;It&#39;s great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that&#39;s good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time.&quot;

While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star&nbsp;he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well.

&quot;The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury,&quot; Nadal said.&nbsp;&quot;That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup&nbsp;so I&#39;m very happy for him.&quot;

After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions.&nbsp;But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic.

Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year.&nbsp;&quot;I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months,&quot; he said.

&quot;You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks.&nbsp;In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let&#39;s see how I am,&quot; he added, referring to the Miami Open.

(AFP)

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay. The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world. Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments. They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed. Leading the pack are the likes of Austria's Dominic Thiem, Germany's Alex Zverev and Australia's Nick Kyrgios. Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark. "These guys are doing well," he said in The Australian newspaper. "It's great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that's good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time." While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well. "The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury," Nadal said. "That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup so I'm very happy for him." After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions. But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic. Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year. "I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months," he said. "You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks. In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let's see how I am," he added, referring to the Miami Open. (AFP)

New generation players good for tennis: Nadal

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras&#39; famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game&#39;s next grand daddy was here.

From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time.

However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis&#39; next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard&#39;s victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter&#39;s victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history.

From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer&#39;s record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings.

A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal&#39;s stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season.

In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, &#39;Big Four&#39; of the men&#39;s game.

This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn&#39;t really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place.

Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn&#39;t seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren&#39;t matched until Murray&#39;s 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month.

However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray&#39;s peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him?

The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic&#39;s form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Murray&#39;s domination of Djokovic in Sunday&#39;s ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis&#39; biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday&#39;s lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come.

If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they&#39;re untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic&#39;s turn now?

&quot;If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you&#39;re crazy,&quot; American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic&#39;s sudden vulnerability to BBC.

With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic&#39;s career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray&#39;s era to finally arrive.

(This articlle first appeared on DNA)

A glance through the past decade-and-a-half of men's tennis' power game

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras' famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game's next grand daddy was here. From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time. However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis' next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter's victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history. From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer's record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings. A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal's stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season. In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, 'Big Four' of the men's game. This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn't really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place. Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn't seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren't matched until Murray's 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month. However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray's peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him? The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic's form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. Murray's domination of Djokovic in Sunday's ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis' biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday's lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come. If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they're untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic's turn now? "If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you're crazy," American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic's sudden vulnerability to BBC. With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic's career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray's era to finally arrive. (This articlle first appeared on DNA)

After Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has Andy Murray's time finally come?

World number two Novak Djokovic dispatched Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori to set up a summit clash with Britain&#39;s Andy Murray at the ATP Tour Finals in London.

Earlier in the day, Andy Murray edged out Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (11/9)&nbsp;to reach the final.

Sunday&#39;s winner between Djokovi and Murray will determine who will finish the year as the world number one.

Murray has his dog in the fight

First up on London&#39;s O2 Arena was the match-up between Murray and world number four Milos Raonic.

The edge-of-the-seat match lasted for three hours and 39 minutes before the more experienced Murray saw off his rival.

This was the longest match in&nbsp;Tour Finals history -- eclipsing the record mark set when&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;beat Nishikori in three hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday.

While&nbsp;Murray&#39;s body has been pushed to its limits this week,&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;has enjoyed smooth progress to the final and, unlike his opponent, the world number two will be well rested following his 67-minute demolition of Nishikori.

Murray, bidding to win the Tour Finals for the first time in his maiden final appearance, acknowledged he is feeling the strain of his gruelling run.

&quot;It was obviously unbelievably tough. I played some great points and managed to get the break at the end,&quot;&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;said.

&quot;This is one of the hardest matches I&#39;ve played indoors. I didn&#39;t expect to play a long one with someone with a serve like Milos.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m tired. I&#39;ve played so much tennis over the last few months. I&#39;ll give it my best effort, the best of what I have.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic dropped just two games against Nishikori, hours after Andy Murray eked out a narrow win over Raonic

World number two Novak Djokovic dispatched Japan's Kei Nishikori to set up a summit clash with Britain's Andy Murray at the ATP Tour Finals in London. Earlier in the day, Andy Murray edged out Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (11/9) to reach the final. Sunday's winner between Djokovi and Murray will determine who will finish the year as the world number one. Murray has his dog in the fight First up on London's O2 Arena was the match-up between Murray and world number four Milos Raonic. The edge-of-the-seat match lasted for three hours and 39 minutes before the more experienced Murray saw off his rival. This was the longest match in Tour Finals history -- eclipsing the record mark set when Murray beat Nishikori in three hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday. While Murray's body has been pushed to its limits this week, Djokovic has enjoyed smooth progress to the final and, unlike his opponent, the world number two will be well rested following his 67-minute demolition of Nishikori. Murray, bidding to win the Tour Finals for the first time in his maiden final appearance, acknowledged he is feeling the strain of his gruelling run. "It was obviously unbelievably tough. I played some great points and managed to get the break at the end," Murray said. "This is one of the hardest matches I've played indoors. I didn't expect to play a long one with someone with a serve like Milos. "I'm tired. I've played so much tennis over the last few months. I'll give it my best effort, the best of what I have." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Djokovic beats Nishikori to set up top-dog tussle with Murray

Andy Murray swept into the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Stan Wawrinka on Friday as the world number one remained on course for a final showdown against Novak Djokovic.

Murray brushed aside Wawrinka in 86 minutes at London&#39;s O2 Arena to ensure he finished top of his group and avoided a last four clash with Djokovic.

Instead, the 29-year-old will face Canada&#39;s Milos Raonic in Saturday&#39;s semi-finals.

Wawrinka&#39;s defeat means Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori qualifies as runner-up to Murray and he takes on defending champion Djokovic in the other semi-final.

Murray ended Djokovic&#39;s 122-week reign at the top of the rankings two weeks ago, but to guarantee finishing 2016 in pole position, he must win the Tour Finals for the first time.

He looks in the mood to do just that on the evidence of a ruthless performance against US Open champion Wawrinka, which took his winning streak to 22 matches and equalled his career best run earlier this year.

&quot;The first set was tight. There weren&#39;t many chances. I managed to get the break late in the set,&quot; Murray said.

&quot;In the second set I&#39;d already qualified for the semis so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him. Stan is one of the best players in the world. When he&#39;s at his best he&#39;s unplayable, but I played a solid match. I&#39;m happy to get to the semis.&quot;

This has been an incredible year for Murray, who has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and become a father for the first time.

To finish it on another high, Murray must repeat this year&#39;s Wimbledon and Queen&#39;s final triumphs against the big serving Raonic.

That would set up a possible winner-takes-all meeting with his old rival Djokovic to determine who secures the Tour Finals title and the world number one ranking.

(AFP)

Murray will take on defending champion Djokovic in the finals if he ensures a win against Canada's Raonic in the semi-finals

Andy Murray swept into the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Stan Wawrinka on Friday as the world number one remained on course for a final showdown against Novak Djokovic. Murray brushed aside Wawrinka in 86 minutes at London's O2 Arena to ensure he finished top of his group and avoided a last four clash with Djokovic. Instead, the 29-year-old will face Canada's Milos Raonic in Saturday's semi-finals. Wawrinka's defeat means Japan's Kei Nishikori qualifies as runner-up to Murray and he takes on defending champion Djokovic in the other semi-final. Murray ended Djokovic's 122-week reign at the top of the rankings two weeks ago, but to guarantee finishing 2016 in pole position, he must win the Tour Finals for the first time. He looks in the mood to do just that on the evidence of a ruthless performance against US Open champion Wawrinka, which took his winning streak to 22 matches and equalled his career best run earlier this year. "The first set was tight. There weren't many chances. I managed to get the break late in the set," Murray said. "In the second set I'd already qualified for the semis so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him. Stan is one of the best players in the world. When he's at his best he's unplayable, but I played a solid match. I'm happy to get to the semis." This has been an incredible year for Murray, who has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and become a father for the first time. To finish it on another high, Murray must repeat this year's Wimbledon and Queen's final triumphs against the big serving Raonic. That would set up a possible winner-takes-all meeting with his old rival Djokovic to determine who secures the Tour Finals title and the world number one ranking. (AFP)

Tennis: Murray sweeps into semi-finals of ATP Tour Finals

Defending champion Novak Djokovic trounced stand-in David Goffin 6-1, 6-2 for a clean sweep of his group at the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday but spiced up a leisurely afternoon workout by picking a row with the umpire.

The world number two, who will be joined in the last four by Milos Raonic after the Canadian beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 7-6(5), 6-3, began the week at London&#39;s O2 Arena quarrelling with a reporter and despite being relatively untroubled on court, there has been an edginess about the 12-times grand slam champion.

It surfaced again against Goffin, who pocketed $179,000 for his 69-minute cameo appearance having stepped in to replace Gael Monfils who withdrew citing a rib injury.

While serving at 3-1 the Serb was given a time violation warning by chair umpire Fergus Murphy and let rip at the changeover.

&quot;You have no clue about the game,&quot; an irate Djokovic told Murphy before turning to continue the debate with tournament director Tom Barnes who was hovering nearby.

Djokovic&#39;s complaint that Murphy had punished his first transgression rather than offer a quiet word seemed fair enough, although his reaction was out of context in a match that lacked any kind of nervous tension.

There was more at stake later, when Raonic, who did not face a single break point, became the first Canadian to reach the last four when he downed Thiem in straight sets.

There were no breaks in the opening set but Raonic stole his opponent&#39;s serve in the first game of the second and did not look back, ending the contest on his second match point when Thiem netted a backhand.

Belgium world number 11 Goffin had been hanging around all week in case of a withdrawal. He tried his best to make a match of it but looked off the pace from the moment he double-faulted to give Djokovic his first break in the fourth game.

&quot;Yesterday I was feeling a bit like I was on holiday,&quot; Goffin, who would have received a cool $100,000 even if he had not been required for action, told reporters.

&quot;All of a sudden someone tells you-you have to play in front of 15,000 people against Novak.&quot;

It was poor value for the O2 Arena crowd who probably expected something more competitive, not that Djokovic was too concerned. He was able to conserve energy for what could yet be a Sunday showdown with Andy Murray, the man who ended his 122-week reign as world number one last week.

After losing a colossal points lead over the Briton since beating him to win the French Open, Djokovic is now two wins away from grabbing it back.

He bridled at suggestions that it would be a surprise if he did achieve that by claiming a fifth successive London title.

&quot;I guess I do not have the same perception of surprise as you do,&quot; the 29-year-old said when asked the question. &quot;To me, it wouldn&#39;t be a surprise.&quot;

Djokovic also shed light on his row with Murphy which was drowned out by blaring music in the arena.

&quot;I accept that I&#39;m one of the players that takes the most time,&quot; he said. &quot;But I think it&#39;s fair, correct and respectful towards a player that if you go over the first time, you at least get a head&#39;s up.

&quot;That&#39;s all I&#39;m asking for, to be honest.&quot;

With wins already against Thiem, Raonic, and Goffin, Djokovic has now won 21 of his last 22 matches at the tournament.

Who he faces in the semi-finals is still to be decided.

Murray is favourite to win the John McEnroe group and so avoid Djokovic but should he lose to Stan Wawrinka on Friday he could finish runner-up. Kei Nishikori is also a possibility.

&quot;As a player, all you can wish for is that everything is in your hands,&quot; said Djokovic.

(Reuters)

Defending champion Djokovic trounced stand-in Goffin 6-1, 6-2 for a clean sweep of his group at the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday

Defending champion Novak Djokovic trounced stand-in David Goffin 6-1, 6-2 for a clean sweep of his group at the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday but spiced up a leisurely afternoon workout by picking a row with the umpire. The world number two, who will be joined in the last four by Milos Raonic after the Canadian beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 7-6(5), 6-3, began the week at London's O2 Arena quarrelling with a reporter and despite being relatively untroubled on court, there has been an edginess about the 12-times grand slam champion. It surfaced again against Goffin, who pocketed $179,000 for his 69-minute cameo appearance having stepped in to replace Gael Monfils who withdrew citing a rib injury. While serving at 3-1 the Serb was given a time violation warning by chair umpire Fergus Murphy and let rip at the changeover. "You have no clue about the game," an irate Djokovic told Murphy before turning to continue the debate with tournament director Tom Barnes who was hovering nearby. Djokovic's complaint that Murphy had punished his first transgression rather than offer a quiet word seemed fair enough, although his reaction was out of context in a match that lacked any kind of nervous tension. There was more at stake later, when Raonic, who did not face a single break point, became the first Canadian to reach the last four when he downed Thiem in straight sets. There were no breaks in the opening set but Raonic stole his opponent's serve in the first game of the second and did not look back, ending the contest on his second match point when Thiem netted a backhand. Belgium world number 11 Goffin had been hanging around all week in case of a withdrawal. He tried his best to make a match of it but looked off the pace from the moment he double-faulted to give Djokovic his first break in the fourth game. "Yesterday I was feeling a bit like I was on holiday," Goffin, who would have received a cool $100,000 even if he had not been required for action, told reporters. "All of a sudden someone tells you-you have to play in front of 15,000 people against Novak." It was poor value for the O2 Arena crowd who probably expected something more competitive, not that Djokovic was too concerned. He was able to conserve energy for what could yet be a Sunday showdown with Andy Murray, the man who ended his 122-week reign as world number one last week. After losing a colossal points lead over the Briton since beating him to win the French Open, Djokovic is now two wins away from grabbing it back. He bridled at suggestions that it would be a surprise if he did achieve that by claiming a fifth successive London title. "I guess I do not have the same perception of surprise as you do," the 29-year-old said when asked the question. "To me, it wouldn't be a surprise." Djokovic also shed light on his row with Murphy which was drowned out by blaring music in the arena. "I accept that I'm one of the players that takes the most time," he said. "But I think it's fair, correct and respectful towards a player that if you go over the first time, you at least get a head's up. "That's all I'm asking for, to be honest." With wins already against Thiem, Raonic, and Goffin, Djokovic has now won 21 of his last 22 matches at the tournament. Who he faces in the semi-finals is still to be decided. Murray is favourite to win the John McEnroe group and so avoid Djokovic but should he lose to Stan Wawrinka on Friday he could finish runner-up. Kei Nishikori is also a possibility. "As a player, all you can wish for is that everything is in your hands," said Djokovic. (Reuters)

ATP Finals: Djokovic thrashes Goffin, picks row with umpire

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