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Djokovic takes wildcard for Queens; To continue with Vajda for Grass

By Keshav Gopalan

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during the Gentlemen's Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during the Gentlemen's Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Novak Djokovic has had a mixed clay court season. After a good showing in Rome, he crashed out of the French Open Quarterfinal against Marco Cecchinato in a match most expected him to win comfortably. The frustration was evident in his post-match press conference, where he was open about how he was unable to articulate his feelings properly and in the short answers he gave as well as the impatience while giving them.

But perhaps the most shocking was when his answer to a question about his plans on grass was “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m going to play on grass”. Many people wondered if this was a heat of the moment answer or if Djokovic was so frustrated that this time he would take a break to rehabilitate his mind. However, those rumours have now been put to rest. The Fever Tree Championships, better known as Queens, has awarded a Wildcard to the three-time Wimbledon Champ.

When asked about his participation in the tournament, Djokovic said:

"“I am very excited to be playing the Fever-Tree Championships again. I have happy memories of reaching the final at the Queen’s Club 10 years ago and also winning the doubles title. The atmosphere is always great and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the British crowd again. After the exciting events in Rome and Paris, I’m ready for new challenges. The grass is very special, it is the rarest of surfaces so I’m happy I’ll have the opportunity to compete at this strong tournament, which will also be a great preparation for Wimbledon. Marian Vajda and Gebhard Phil- Gritsch will be with me in London, and this makes me happy”."

It is important to note that if the current entry list remains the same, Djokovic is unlikely to be seeded.

Analysis

It’s a good move by Djokovic. The consensus that his comment was a hot-headed, spur of the moment blurt out has been confirmed and it is likely that he collected his thoughts, calmed down and decided that he needs the match practice and the momentum to do better than last year’s performance on grass, which was a similar goal for him in Roland Garros. His passion for the sport is clearly back, with perhaps the only required change being an increase in muscle to help reduce the inconsistent shot-making and movement.

We look forward to seeing Djokovic next week.

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