Djokovic laments illness, Tsonga rejoices
Source: Agencies |
January 28, 2010, Thursday
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NOVAK Djokovic was lamenting a case of gastroenteritis after he lost his Australian Open quarterfinal to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday.
The Serb had just won the third set to take a 2-1 lead and Tsonga looked deflated before Djokovic left Rod Laver Arena after he told the chair umpire he needed to vomit.
While he managed to return, his game melted away and Tsonga ran out a 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to set up a semifinal against Roger Federer after the Swiss came from a set down to defeat Russian Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.
"It was unfortunate that I couldn't perform on the level that I wanted to in the fourth and fifth set," Djokovic said. "I don't want to find excuses for my loss, but, you know, I went to vomit and I had diarrhoea before the match. "After two games (of the fourth set) I had to go to the toilet. I couldn't hold on. There was no way, otherwise I would throw up on the court. ... Just a terrible feeling."
Djokovic said he was unsure as to what had caused the sickness as he had not eaten anything out of the ordinary. It was dehydrated and fatigued, he said.
"When you lose a lot of fluids and your engine ... stops working, that's how I felt," Djokovic said. "Very bad with my legs in the fourth, and especially in the fifth set. I wasn't able to run him down at the baseline, and that was the major problem.
"You know, he was serving well and just got a confidence boost to be aggressive. It was unfortunate."
Tsonga said Djokovic's illness was just part of the game.
"Sometimes it happens," he told reporters. "There are some problems, but I think this is the game. Sometimes you have problems with your forehand, sometimes you have problems with your backhand, sometimes your body. You never know what can happen. He had problems with his stomach ... Bad luck for him and good for luck for me."
Federer's victory snapped a 13-match Davydenko winning streak after the Russian won the season-ending ATP World Finals in November at London and his 20th career title in Doha earlier this month.
Serena Williams saved some family pride after older sister Venus' loss to Li Na. Four-time champion Serena was down a set and 0-4 in the second before rebounding for a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
The Serb had just won the third set to take a 2-1 lead and Tsonga looked deflated before Djokovic left Rod Laver Arena after he told the chair umpire he needed to vomit.
While he managed to return, his game melted away and Tsonga ran out a 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to set up a semifinal against Roger Federer after the Swiss came from a set down to defeat Russian Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.
"It was unfortunate that I couldn't perform on the level that I wanted to in the fourth and fifth set," Djokovic said. "I don't want to find excuses for my loss, but, you know, I went to vomit and I had diarrhoea before the match. "After two games (of the fourth set) I had to go to the toilet. I couldn't hold on. There was no way, otherwise I would throw up on the court. ... Just a terrible feeling."
Djokovic said he was unsure as to what had caused the sickness as he had not eaten anything out of the ordinary. It was dehydrated and fatigued, he said.
"When you lose a lot of fluids and your engine ... stops working, that's how I felt," Djokovic said. "Very bad with my legs in the fourth, and especially in the fifth set. I wasn't able to run him down at the baseline, and that was the major problem.
"You know, he was serving well and just got a confidence boost to be aggressive. It was unfortunate."
Tsonga said Djokovic's illness was just part of the game.
"Sometimes it happens," he told reporters. "There are some problems, but I think this is the game. Sometimes you have problems with your forehand, sometimes you have problems with your backhand, sometimes your body. You never know what can happen. He had problems with his stomach ... Bad luck for him and good for luck for me."
Federer's victory snapped a 13-match Davydenko winning streak after the Russian won the season-ending ATP World Finals in November at London and his 20th career title in Doha earlier this month.
Serena Williams saved some family pride after older sister Venus' loss to Li Na. Four-time champion Serena was down a set and 0-4 in the second before rebounding for a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
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