Sunday, May 27, 2012
Associated Press
PARIS
As daylight disappeared and wind whipped loose dirt around the court, Novak Djokovic watched one last ace fly off Roger Federer’s racket and end their thrill-a-minute semifinal at the 2011 French Open.
It’s been nearly a year since that evening, and Djokovic hasn’t lost a Grand Slam match since.
He’s won 21 in a row, earning championships at Wimbledon in July, the U.S. Open in September, and the Australian Open in January. If Djokovic can prolong that run on the red clay of Roland Garros over the next two weeks, he will become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four consecutive major tennis tournaments.
A remarkable achievement, to be sure. And one the 25-year-old Serb is trying not to expend too much energy pondering before the French Open, which starts today.
“It would definitely mean the world to me ... but I haven’t thought about that too much, because I do not want to put too much pressure on myself,” the No. 1-ranked Djokovic said, then added with a laugh: “Pressure that I don’t need at this moment, because I already have enough.”
He insists he wants to view this tournament the way he would any year.
Federer’s take? Essentially: Good luck with that, pal.
“The hard part is [the] same for everyone: Every point you play, every game you play, the pressure you face, and just answering the questions time and time again,” said Federer, who twice fell one match shy of four Grand Slam titles in a row, losing in the French Open final to Rafael Nadal in 2006 and 2007.
“It’s fun, because you’re talking about the highest of accomplishments,” Federer continued. “But at the end of the day, you just like to play the matches and not talk about it that much.”
None of the top three men is in action on Day 1. The schedule includes seven-time major champion Venus Williams in her first Grand Slam match since revealing she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease; past French Open champions Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova; reigning U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur; and past U.S. Open title winners Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro.
Djokovic and No. 3 Federer will be on court Monday, while No. 2 Nadal is slated to begin his attempt for a record-breaking seventh French Open title on Tuesday.
“He is always favorite for this tournament. He even was last year,” said Djokovic, who beat Nadal in seven tournament finals in 2011.