Cash Joins Others in Saluting Djokovic’s Win

Written by: Staff on 30th January 2012

Cash Joins Others in Saluting Djokovic’s Win

Former tennis pros Pat Cash plays the ball in his 6:1, 3:6 and 6:1 win in the Cup of Legends final against Ivan Lendl at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 22 May 2011. Several former tennis pros competed in the cup that took place from 20 to 22 May. EPA/FREDRIK VON ERICHSEN |

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Australian tennis hero Pat Cash joined in the applause for Novak Djokovic’s momentous victory at Melbourne Park after previously insisting the Serb’s chances of recapturing sufficient fitness to beat Rafael Nadal were minimal.

Cash insisted the Australian Open scheduling, giving Nadal 24 hours extra to recover from his less arduous semi-final win over Roger Federer would handicap Djokovic who contested a demanding five setter against Andy Murray.

But after Djokovic’s 5-7,6-4,6-2,6-7,7-5 victory after five hours and 53 minutes just before 1.37am in the morning Melbourne time, Cash insisted: “Never, and I really do mean never ever, have I seen anything quite to match Novak Djokovic’s supreme effort to win the Australian Open for a third time.

“Quite simply it was the most unbelievable superhuman effort of endurance, strength and pure guts that has ever taken place on a tennis court.

“Yes, I stressed beforehand that Novak would struggle to shake off the after effects of that demanding semi-final win against Andy Murray two nights earlier. Yes I thought Rafael Nadal’s physical powers, added to an extra day of recovery, would see him come out on top. And no, I frankly couldn’t see the Spaniard losing when the marathon extended into the fifth set. Wrong on all counts I admit and I will plead guilty to all charges.”

Cash, twice a beaten Australian Open finalist and commentating for Britain’s BBC continued: “Honestly I have no idea where Djokovic found his resilience. Just how did he manage to rebound from the rigors of the Murray match and where did he find those extra reservoirs of endurance and energy to come through in the final set?

“When he collapsed flat on his back half way through the fifth set it certainly looked as though he was physically spent but how wrong we all were to think such a thing. This was a win most of us mere mortals can only dream about. Sure I wasn’t expecting it but I’m so glad I witnessed it because I wouldn’t have believed such a story if I heard it second hand.”

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Topics: Australian Open, djokovic, Pat Cash