Djokovic aims to keep getting better at Wimbledon
World number one Novak Djokovic takes on Argentina's Juan Martin del
Potro for a place in the Wimbledon final on Friday insisting he can get
even better.
But Djokovic, having avoided the shock exits suffered by the likes of
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at this year's Wimbledon, believes he
cannot become complacent.
"It's the mindset I always try to have, because that's something that
keeps me going every single day on the practice courts, day in, day out,
trying to give my best and trying to always inspire myself to play
better tennis," said the top seed.
"I know I have a quite complete game, but I still feel there is room
for improvement." The Serb, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, will be playing
in his 13th successive Grand Slam semi-final, 10 behind the record held
by Federer.
At Wimbledon this year, he is chasing a seventh major.
Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, just about survived his
quarter-final against David Ferrer when he strained his already
heavily-bandaged left knee in a sickening Centre Court tumble.
Djokovic has an 8-3 winning record over Del Potro but the Argentine
won their only other previous meeting on grass in the 2012 Olympics
bronze medal play-off which took place at Wimbledon.
Del Potro also won the pair's last meeting in March, on hard court in
the Indian Wells semi-finals.
The 24-year-old, eighth seeded Argentine star is used to tackling
physical problems.
In 2010, he played just three tournaments and saw his ranking slip to
257 in the world after undergoing wrist surgery.
"He struggled with injuries in last few years, but every time he
comes back he comes back very strong because he just has this talent and
qualities as a player," said Djokovic.
Del Potro's 2009 US Open win was the only time in the last 33 Grand
Slams that the champion wasn't called either Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or
Murray.
Like Djokovic, Del Potro has reached the last-four -- his first
semi-final at Wimbledon -- without dropping a set.
"I will need to be 110 percent against Novak. He's the number one.
He's a former champion. It's going to be a more difficult match for me,"
Del Potro said.
Second-seeded Andy Murray, the runner-up to Federer in 2012, will be
playing in his fifth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final, but he had to
come from two sets to love down to beat Fernando Verdasco in the
quarter-finals. It will be his 13th major semi-final, equalling the
national record set by Fred Perry, the last British man to win the title
in 1936.
He takes on 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, the first Polish man to reach
the semi-finals of a major.
"It will be a very tough match. Janowicz has a big serve. He's a big
guy with a lot of power," Murray said of his opponent who has fired a
tournament-leading 94 aces at Wimbledon this year.
They have a 1-1 record but Murray lost their last meeting at the
Paris Masters in 2012 when Janowicz came through qualifying to reach the
final.
"He also has pretty good touch. He likes to hit drop-shots. He
doesn't just whack every single shot as hard as he can," the Scot said.
Janowicz, the 24th seed, is this year's rags-to-riches Wimbledon
story.
When he once played the US Open, New Yorkers coughed up to buy him
tennis shoes while, two years ago, when he was ranked at a lowly 221 in
the world, he didn't have the cash to buy a ticket to the Australian
Open.
"I have had some troubles during my career. You practice and work for
these kind of moments," said Janowicz, who broke down in floods of tears
on Wednesday when he defeated compatriot Lukasz Kubot.
AFP |