Serbia’s Novak Djokovic persevered through a wrist injury, leading his team to a highly anticipated quarter-final match against Australia in the United Cup. The day in Perth was filled with intense emotions and uncertainty.
The top-ranked player experienced difficulty with his dominant wrist during his warm-up session on Tuesday, necessitating extensive medical attention from his physiotherapist. Despite this setback, Djokovic was given the green light to compete in his singles match against Jiri Lehecka later in the day. This was a relief for Serbia, especially since Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova had already claimed a victory over Olga Danilovic 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, giving the Czech Republic a 1-0 lead in the overall match.
The player who has won 24 grand slam titles seemed to be on his way to a comfortable win against Lehecka. He won the first set and quickly took a 3-1 lead in the second. However, as the match continued, Djokovic’s wrist injury became worse and he began making unusual mistakes. He called for a medical break after losing the second set tie-break and returned with a strong performance, securing a double break in the third set and ultimately winning the match 6-1, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1.
“I was able to continue playing,” stated Djokovic. “This is not the first or the last time that such things occur. You simply have to handle it. You have to find a way to resolve it, and fortunately I was able to complete the match.”
There was confusion following the match regarding Serbia’s qualification for the quarter-finals. Officials initially stated that even if Serbia lost the mixed doubles and the overall tie, they would still qualify as the top second-placed team in Perth. However, it was later clarified that if Serbia lost the mixed doubles in straight sets, they would be eliminated from the tournament.
Djokovic decided not to participate in the mixed doubles, likely because he believed Serbia had already secured a spot in the quarter-finals. Serbia initially seemed to be in trouble when Danilovic and Medjedovic lost the first set to Kolodziejova and Nouza. However, Serbia’s advancement was secured when they won the second set in a tie-break. Djokovic showed visible happiness and relief as he watched from the sidelines. In the end, Serbia won the match 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 10-8 in a tie-break.
Serbia finished first in Group E, earning them a spot in the quarter-finals where they will face Australia, who won Group C. The match will take place on Wednesday night at RAC Arena. This sets up a showdown between Djokovic and Alex de Minaur, who is currently ranked 12th in the world. De Minaur showed his talent with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 victory over Taylor Fritz, who is ranked 10th, on Monday. In the other quarter-final in Perth, Poland will play against China.
Djokovic’s wrist did not seem to be impacting his performance at the start of his singles match. He successfully broke Lehecka in the fourth and sixth games, winning the first set in just 34 minutes. The outcome of the match appeared to be certain when Djokovic quickly took a 3-1 lead in the second set.
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Lehecka came alive and broke Djokovic’s serve twice, taking a 5-3 lead. However, Djokovic managed to break back and bring the set to a tie-break. Unfortunately, he made several mistakes on his own, giving Lehecka the set. After a medical time-out, Djokovic seemed to regain his strength and quickly won the third set in just 35 minutes, ultimately winning the match.
