Novak Djokovic has a great record at the BNP Paribas Open – finalist in 2007 and champion in 2008 – but his latest assault on this ATP Masters Series title nearly melted in the hot desert sun at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Facing the talented German Philipp Kohlschreiber on Monday, Djokovic found himself facing three match points on his own serve at 4-5, 0-40 in the third set, and did well to come out a third-round winner, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3).
Showing a determination and aggression that had been noticeably absent from his game at the end of the second set and early in the third, Djokovic came up with good serves and forcing ground strokes to snatch the advantage away from an opponent who had seemed totally in charge of the match once the Serb had let slip a 6-2, 2-0 lead.
Djokovic seemed to lose focus as Kohlschreiber, a fleet-footed performer with a smooth, penetrating forehand, ran off nine games in a row to win the second set 6-2 and take a 3-0 lead in the third. At that point, Djokovic looked like a beaten man, especially when he trailed 15-40 on his serve in the fourth game, and again with the German holding the three match points.
“You know, in those moments you just try to stay focused and work things the best way possible,” Djokovic said afterwards. “I mean, it’s one or two points. One point in a tight match and he could easily be the winner of this match, and he would have deserved it.”
The difference, of course, lies in the confidence that comes from having won big matches in big situations. Djokovic is a Grand Slam winner (Australian Open, 2008) and is currently ranked second in the world. Kohlschreiber, for all his undoubted ability, has yet to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in 23 attempts. Today, the competitive seasoning showed.
Djokovic gave Kohlschreiber an opening, yet he couldn’t capitalise on it. Djokovic knew that was a liberty he couldn't keep taking.
“For the next match, I want to maintain focus up to the end and not have any mental breakdowns in the middle of the match,” he said. “Nine games in a row is something that I cannot allow anymore to happen.”
What Djokovic does want to happen is a chance to have a hit with his boyhood idol, Pete Sampras.
Djokovic, who was inspired by watching Sampras win Wimbledon when he was about five, finally ran into the 14-time Grand Slam winner at the La Quinta Hotel last week.
“I met him for the first time in my life,” he said. “That was strange because I’ve seen most of the guys except him. So, when we had a chat, I fulfilled my childhood dreams because he’s the one that gave me a lot of motivation to become a professional player. I didn’t have anyone playing tennis in my family, so I had to do it myself. So, to be able to meet him was just amazing.”
It was obviously a big moment for the still-impressionable Serb. “When the kid meets an idol – I surprised myself,” he admitted. “I thought it’s not going to be big deal. I’m on the tour for many years. I’m grown up. But it was incredible, you know. I wish one day I can hit with him. He promised me he’s going to hit with me, so I’ll keep him to his word.”
The perfect weather and star-studded entry in both the men’s and women’s draws created lock out crowd situations over the weekend, to the frustration of tournament organizers. “We are allowed 25,000 people on site, but had to close the gates at 20,000 because we ran out of parking spaces,” one official told me. “It is something we are going to have to talk to the city about.”
Various venue improvements can be expected in the near future now that Larry Ellison, the Oracle CEO, has bought the tournament from Charlie Pasarell and Ray Moore. Ellison, from all accounts, is a tennis player and a real fan of the sport, with a reputation of improving everything he buys. Tennis in the desert has room to expand.
