Google News Novak Djokovic: Winning Davis Cup title was springboard for what followed in 2011
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 4768
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic played his 50th Davis Cup match on Saturday but he had to be reminded of the milestone by his team. Djokovic, who led Serbia to winning their lone Davis Cup title in 2010, saw off Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2 6-4.
After winning the Davis Cup, Djokovic won three Grand Slams in 2011 and rose a career-high ranking of No. 1 in the world. “Honestly, I had to be reminded by my team that it was coming,” Djokovic said, per the Davis Cup Finals website.
“It’s been more than 15 years since I made my debut and playing for my country has been an honour and a privilege. “Every generation I’ve been a part of has been a great group on and off the court. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the team that won the 2010 Davis Cup title.
I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life, as winning the Davis Cup was special because it was a massive impetus for how my individual career developed. “It was a springboard for winning three grand slam tournaments in 2011 and then becoming the world number one.
My passion to play in the Davis Cup is not just unrelenting, it’s only growing as I get older”.
Djokovic routinely handled Struff
Djokovic made the best possible start to the match, having broken Struff in the opening game of the match.
Djokovic then earned his second break of the match in the seventh game, before serving out for the opener in the following game. After easily winning the first set, Djokovic broke Struff in the first game of the second set and held on to his serve the rest of the way to book a straight-set win.
A few days ago, Struff said not having Djokovic at the Australian Open would be a brutal shame. "From a sporting point of view, it would be a brutal shame if Djokovic does not compete in Australia. This is his most successful tournament," Struff told SPOX.
