Novak Djokovic: “IT’S AN ULTIMATE CHALLENGE”

Written by: Staff on 9th June 2012

Novak Djokovic: "IT'S AN ULTIMATE CHALLENGE"

epa03255325 Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates winning his semi final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 08 June 2012. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

(Original Story: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/06/23/Roland-Garros-Saturday2-Final-Preview-Djokovic.aspx)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is just a win away from joining Rod Laver as the only player on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously. The top seed at Roland Garros impressed in his semi-final match with Roger Federer Friday, avenging his 2011 defeat in Paris to the 2009 champion with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory.

“I believe that was the best match of 2012 Roland Garros for me, so I’ve raised my game when I needed to,” Djokovic said. “I played really well when it was the most important, so that’s something that gives me confidence obviously before the final.”

For the fourth consecutive major championship final, Djokovic will square off against second-ranked Rafael Nadal. Djokovic has won all three of the previous clashes, including a spellbinding five-set marathon with the Spaniard to lift his third Australian Open trophy.

“It’s definitely the most exciting match I ever had in my career,” declared Djokovic. “Considering the fact it was a final, it was just [an] incredible historic match to be part of.

“It’s going to be quite different on Sunday because this is a different surface. [They are] different circumstances. [Nadal] always plays his best here at Roland Garros, and so I expect to do that as well on Sunday. I know that I have to be playing consistently well on very high level in order to win a best of five [match] against Nadal here. It’s an ultimate challenge.”

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Djokovic’s road to the Paris final has been anything but routine. The 25 year old came back from two sets down against Andreas Seppi in the round of 16, and followed it up by saving four match points in his quarter-final tussle with home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to a five-set victory over the World No. 5. Against Federer, Djokovic found himself down an early double break in the second set, but battled back, denying the Swiss when he served for the set at 5-4 by winning three consecutive games to firmly grab the momentum.

“I regrouped mentally, and I came back. That’s really a positive, especially when you come back from double break down,” said Djokovic. “Against a player like Federer it is a success. It is a great achievement. But I cannot allow myself to have that many ups and downs, especially the next match. I am aware of the intensity that I needed to play [Friday] and on Sunday, as well.”

Nadal owns a slight edge in the pair’s FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series with a 18-14 lead, taking their last two meetings on clay in the finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Rome and Monte-Carlo.

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