• Prior to Madrid, Roger Federer was struggling with his clay-court game. Andy Murray was mired in a slump. Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Martin Del Potro were injured, and after a second honeymoon in Hawaii, Andy Roddick caught a bug. The men’s tour seems to be replicating the women’s circuit, where, since Australia, there hasn’t been a dominant presence. Except for Rafa Nadal‘s predictable clay surge, the ATP’s top players seem adrift. Can’t anyone go for the gold?
Perhaps most startling is the case of Novak Djokovic. Tennis buffs will remember that, back at the ’08 U.S. Open, Roddick unleashed some zingers regarding Djokovic’s health — comments that left the Serb fuming. Asked about Djokovic’s ailments, Roddick spouted off a laundry list: “A back and a hip…and a cramp…bird flu…Anthrax. SARS. Common cough and cold.”
But there was some truth in there, too. After all, Nole has retired in some pretty big moments in his seven-year pro career. Down two sets to Nadal in the Roland Garros quarters in ’06, he waved the white flag claiming back problems, then pulled up lame against Nadal once again in the ’07 Wimbledon semis with back and foot issues. In ’09, he bowed out of his Aussie Open quarterfinal against Roddick due to cramping.
“He’s either quick to call a trainer or he’s the most courageous guy of all time,” added Roddick in Flushing.
And the problems continue. The current No. 2 (who’s no longer being coached by Todd Martin) recently lost in back-to-back events to Fernando Verdasco in Monte Carlo and Rome. Then, on his home turf in Belgrade, the defending champ retired after dropping the first set against No. 319-ranked countryman Filip Krajinovic. All the while, he’s complained of respiratory issues.
“There’s a little bit of problems with allergies in the last month and a half,” said Djokovic, who added that it’s “definitely not an easy thing to fight with nature.”
So now there are even more questions about the 22-year-old’s stamina, his toughness.
“I don’t want to go into details, but I have some health issues that are hampering me and it’s very important for me to be fit, because playing on clay demands immense physical efforts,” Djokvic told Blic before opting out of Madrid. “I’ve been going through a difficult period over the past couple of months. It’s spring and I have strong allergic reactions to pollen. It’s never been this bad.”
• Wondering what’s become of ’09 U.S. Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro? The 6-foot-6 Argentine — who hasn’t played a match since his fourth-round 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 loss to Marin Cilic at the Aussie Open — has returned to his homeland, where the No. 5 is recovering from wrist surgery.
And he may just be sidelined for the lion’s share of the Slam season. The 21-year-old is expected to miss at least three months, which would include Argentina’s quarterfinal Davis Cup tie against Russia in July.
“I will return to the court,” said Del Potro. “I don’t know where I’ll be in the rankings. The only thing I’m thinking about is getting back and enjoying it.”
