Novak Djokovic: '2008 AO title gave me huge boost and propelled my career'
The world no. 1 Novak Djokovic has stayed on the course towards the seventh Australian Open title, advancing into the last four after spending just 52 minutes on the court against Kei Nishikori. The Serb has reached the semi-final at Melbourne Park for the seventh time, never losing after the quarter-final stage in Melbourne to stand at the top of the record books together with Roger Federer and Roy Emerson. Finishing the match against Nishikori much earlier than the organizers have planned, Novak stayed on the court with a former multiple champion Jim Courier for more than six minutes, having a lot of fun and answering some interesting questions that the American prepared for him.
Novak expressed his sadness about the fact how his match against Kei had to end, wishing the Japanese a speed recovery and the better fortune in the rest of the season. Also, Novak recalled his first Grand Slam triumph here in Melbourne 11 years ago, saying it was the springboard of his career that opened a lot of doors for him. Djokovic will now face Lucas Pouille who will be very motivated after reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final following a four-set win over Milos Raonic, something Novak is very aware of.
"I love to battle on the court, especially against Kei, you know, we played so many matches throughout our careers, also here a couple of times in the quarter-final, semi-final, I think. I hope he can recover, hope his injury is not serious and that will not take too long to heal, I wish him a speedy recovery and I'm sorry for everybody for not having a full match tonight, thanks for showing up. I'm feeling fine physically, this is exactly what the doctor ordered for me after that match against Medvedev two nights ago. I didn't spend too much time on the court, I had plenty of matches so far this year, you know, I'm in another semi-final and I will do everything to get ready for Pouille test.
My success in Melbourne comes from a combination of things, first of all, it extracts a lot of motivation and inspiration just being one of the biggest events in our sport where you always want to play your best and strongly start the season. That title I won in Melbourne at the age of 20 opened a lot of doors for me, it gave me a huge boost of confidence and served as a springboard for the rest of my career. I have the greatest memories from this court and from fans that have been supporting me here over the years, it is always a pleasure to come back.
I'm looking forward to battle against Lucas, it is his first Grand Slam semi-final but he managed to defeat Rafael Nadal in New York some years ago and he has taken a couple of big scalps at big tournaments, not afraid of playing his best at the biggest stage of the sport. I expect him to come out and be very confident about himself as he always is, I'm looking forward to it. I will not take the commentary job from Lleyton Hewitt, he is doing that so much better than I would do (laugh)."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2SbRwct
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