Google News Australian Open TD Craig Tiley confident Novak Djokovic won't pull out of AO
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 11550
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley is confident that 17-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will continue his campaign at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, ranked at No. 1 in the world, was dealing with a side injury during his third round clash against American tennis player Taylor Fritz.
Djokovic's movement was hampered and he was far from his best but he escaped with a 7-6 (1) 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2 win over Fritz. "We'll see him. He's resilient, he's tough," Tiley told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine. "He'll wake up today and he'll figure out what it is and he'll go and get the appropriate treatment.
The way he was, those two sets, I was pretty surprised. "But I've seen him play here, this is his court, he gets comfortable on it and he just picks his game up and up and he's that good. "So his health is going to be important and we'll make a decision later on today on when he plays tomorrow."
Djokovic could pull out of the Australian Open
After bearing Fritz, Djokovic admitted he was unsure whether he would be able to play his round-of-16 match against Milos Raonic.
"(The painkiller) did kick in end of fourth, beginning of the fifth when I actually started to move and I could actually start to rally with him from back of the court," said Djokovic. "Until that moment, it was only serve for me and kind of hoping and praying that I'm gonna get an easy ball after my serve so I could just go for it." Djokovic also added: I'm coming here to evaluate further with doctor and medical team, and do some ultrasound and understand what's really going on so that the doctor and medical team can prescribe best possible treatment.
And the only possible treatment that I could even have the slightest chance to go out in less than 48 hours."
