'I have fond memories of the victories against Roger Federer and Nadal', says ATP ace

Jurgen Melzer became the protagonist of a very good career, taking away many satisfactions in an era dominated almost entirely by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The Serbian, current world number 1, remedied one of the most painful defeats against the Austrian, the one at Roland Garros 2010. Back by two sets, the former world number 8 managed to strike up a sensational comeback that led him to to victory after 4 hours and 15 minutes of extraordinary battle. The 3-6 2-6 6-2 7-6 6-4 is still particularly significant today, given that it remains Djokovic's only career defeat from two sets ahead. After that fantastic feat, Melzer surrendered in the semifinals against the king of clayey Rafael Nadal. Jurgen, who had never gone beyond the second round in singles in the Grand Slams, recalled his exploit in an interview with LAOLA1.

Melzer on the Big 3

"Yes, of course it's nice to be mentioned again and again," Jurgen Melzer said. "Perhaps this single match (over Novak Djokovic) was also my biggest singles success but I also have fond memories of the victories against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi. There have been a few cool matches in my career where I was able to win against the big guys. That's why I can only look back positively. It was an honor to play in this big era," the 39-year-old said. "I was also lucky enough to be able to play against people like Andre Agassi or Tim Henman at the beginning of my career. It is a time when there were so many good players." Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal weren't the only quality players Melzer had to deal with though. "My year alone is impressive: I don't know how many top 10 players emerged from the 1981 year," Melzer added. "Hewitt, Federer, Davydenko, Robredo, Lopez - these are just the players I can think of on the fly. In the juniors, I also played with Nalbandian or Coria. In the end, I made it into the top 10," he said. "This sure is something that I will be proud of for the rest of my life. At the beginning of my career I would definitely have signed that." Melzer will take over the position of the sports director at the Austrian Tennis Association next year. "2020 will definitely be my last season on the ATP tour," Melzer said. "Of course, I hope that we can top it off with a Masters run in London. After the Australian Open , I will work as a sports director for the Austrian Tennis Association. I will be responsible for a few things on the sporting side and manage the sporting business."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TIfUkY