If Mark Philippoussis was in Alex de Minaur’s shoes at Wimbledon on Wednesday night (AEST), he would be going out of his way to disarm the feisty Novak Djokovic with flattery.
Nice backhand, Novak! You got me there, big boy. And how about that serve? According to the Scud, de Minaur should do everything he can to keep Djokovic charmed in a quarterfinal that he enters under an injury cloud after hurting a hip against Arthur Fils on Monday.
In recent Wimbledon wins the Serbian superstar has used what he perceived as negativity from the crowd to fuel his focus, with his demolition of emerging star Holger Rune proving a case in point in a dramatic outing on Centre Court on Monday night.
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After smashing the Danish star, the 24-time major champion delivered an extraordinary broadside at the crowd and followed it by cutting short a brief interview with the BBC when quizzed about his reaction on the court.
The tension in the broadcast centre at Wimbledon near midnight was evident as staff talked in hushed tones while the champion stormed from one interview to the next, clearly peeved by what had unfolded on the court.
“To be honest, I was doing something and then watching the match on mute, so I could see him on the change of ends doing something, and I was like, ‘OK. Something’s happening. Someone has pissed him off, which is a bad idea. You don’t want to piss off Novak’”, Philippoussis said.
“I think he wants to hear ‘boo’, to be honest with you, because it makes him play better. If I were to play him, I would just give him compliments on a change of ends. I don’t want to piss that guy off, that’s for sure.”
People have been tiptoeing around the seven-time champion in recent days, with Djokovic clearly on edge as he seeks a record 25th grand slam title while playing on one leg.
Alexei Popyrin took the fight to Djokovic in the fourth set on Saturday but, when asked about the chances of de Minaur pulling off the biggest win of his career, noted he “didn’t want to put any fire in it for Novak”.
Perhaps it is the extended time Djokovic is spending in rehabilitation. Aussie former world No.8 Philippoussis, a finalist at Wimbledon in 2003, said the 37-year-old was spending eight to 10 hours a day on the knee in a sign of his professionalism.
Maybe it is the bleak London weather. It was bucketing down again on Tuesday at Wimbledon, delaying play on the outside court for hours, and summer does not look likely to arrive this week.
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While Djokovic said he had been enjoying time with his family over the past week, which included some minutes hitting with his son, the “tension and the pressure and the stress is really high, as high as it always has been,”.
That could spell bad news for de Minaur, who wore the wrath of Djokovic at the Australian Open last year when convincingly beaten after his rival took umbrage when the Sydneysider said he was “tired of that circus” surrounding the 10-time champion in Melbourne during the Covid-19 saga.
After dismissing de Minaur for the loss of just five games, Djokovic declared; “I have no relationship with him. I respect him like all other players … he showed in 2022 what he thinks of me.”
FROM BRICKBATS TO BOUQUETS
De Minaur, who defeated Djokovic in the United Cup in January before falling to him 7-5 6-4 in Monte Carlo earlier this year, has ambitions to win Wimbledon but has also learned his lesson when it comes to talking about Djokovic.
The 25-year-old was highly complimentary of the King of Melbourne Park, who surprisingly is yet to win a title of any regard in what has been an indifferent season to date, after his four set victory over Fils on Monday.
“I don’t think you need to talk too much about Novak here at Wimbledon,” de Minaur said.
“He’s obviously achieved greatness (for) many, many years, so it’s going to be a tough battle. But these are the types of battles that I want to be playing. Those are the challenges that I want to take advantage of and go out there and show what I can do.
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“I have played Novak once in a slam. It’s fair to say it was quite a challenge. But I’m looking forward to this matchup next time around. I think I’m a different player. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge.”
Djokovic, for his part, has watched de Minaur mature since that thrashing in Melbourne 18 months ago and is mindful he is a vastly improved player.
He noted Lleyton Hewitt, the dual-major winner who he respected as a player, has been spending significant time with de Minaur again around the courts at Wimbledon, while the Australian’s results throughout 2024 point to his progression.
Bidding to become the 14th Australian man in the Open era to make the Wimbledon semifinals, the Sydneysider sits at a live ranking of six heading into the quarterfinals.
“I played him in the fourth round of the Australian Open last year, 2023. I played a terrific match really. But from that match until today, watching his progress, seeing him get into the top 10 is not a surprise really,” Djokovic said.
“He’s always had that speed. He’s always had that incredible defence and (he has got) really crafty hands on all the surfaces, particularly the quicker ones.
“(He has) Lleyton Hewitt is in his corner, a mentor and a coach and someone that has been with him for many years and I think it’s a great matchup because they mesh well together because of their styles of play.
“Lleyton played quite similarly to Alex, so I’ve seen him only going in the right direction in terms of the improvement of his game.”
THE BIG MYSTERY. IS THE ‘DEMON’ FIT?
The alarm bells rang shortly after 5pm on Tuesday when an alert popped up stating de Minaur had withdrawn from a tournament in Gstaad beginning next Monday.
But that was followed by a series of notifications as players still alive at Wimbledon began withdrawing from preparatory events leading into the Paris Olympics. But there is no clarity on the extent of the hip problem he injured late in his Rd of 16 triumph.
The muted manner with which de Minaur celebrated reaching his first quarterfinal at Wimbledon raised concerns about the severity of what he has only described as a hip issue.
And it caught the eyes of compatriots hoping the popular Davis Cup leader can end a major drought for Australian men dating back to Hewitt’s triumph at Wimbledon in 2002.
Todd Woodbridge, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 1997, spoke to the de Minaur camp after his win over Arthur Fils and said he was assured the world No.9 would be fine.
“I guess the issue (of the hip) is just coming up a bit and by all accounts he’s fine, so that’s good, but that match point was very, very awkward,” Woodbridge said.
Philippoussis, who fell to Roger Federer in the 2003 final, is delighted with the way the nine-time ATP Tour titleholder has matured in recent years, but was also concerned.
“I was just a little worried at the end of the match yesterday (because it was) not the celebration you would think going into a quarterfinals,” he said.
“But I know it’s normal for the second week of Wimbledon to be feeling niggly things on your muscles because it’s tough, the grass, getting down low, coming into the net.
“It puts more (strain) on the muscles than the joints on the grass, so I’m sure lots of people will be feeling it now, with little things here and there.”
The weather was not conducive to practising on Tuesday, with matches including Ash Barty’s outing with Casey Dellacqua in the Legends event among those cancelled.
But nor was there any indication the Australian would be hitting at the indoor facility, which is not necessarily surprising so deep into the tournament.
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAY, THE LOVE RUNS DEEP FOR THE DEMON
Ahead of the Legends event, which has drawn a rich array of talent including Barty and Lleyton Hewitt, several former stars weighed in on the topics of the tournament.
The progression of de Minaur, who has made the last eight at successive grand slams after runs to the fourth round at the Australian and US Opens, has been noted.
But it is not just the manner with which de Minaur plays that is earning the approval of those who have excelled on the biggest stages.
His demeanour is also highly regarded according to a couple of former guns who have transferred their talents on the court into becoming tournament directors of major tournaments around the world.
Richard Krajicek, who defeated American legend Pete Sampras on route to the 1996 Wimbledon title, oversees a high-class indoor event in Rotterdam where de Minaur was a finalist in February when beaten by Jannik Sinner.
“He is an unbelievably nice guy. He’s very Australian. They are nice people,” Krajicek said.
“He’s been great for the tournament, having been the last couple of years and we are always happy to have him. It was nice that he made the final and it was a really, really good final, who at that stage was playing unbelievable but he is still playing unbelievable.”
Haas, a former world No.2 who made three Australian Open semifinalists and is now the tournament director at Indian Wells, said de Minaur was all class.
“He is somebody who is obviously very easy going. It is a pleasure, in that aspect and it is great to see his climb up the ladder,” he said. “What an athlete. He does not necessarily have the strokes of other top 10 athletes but he has the mindset, the commitment, he is appreciative and he is giving it his all every day. Those kinds of people, it is joyful to have them (in the game).”
Haas believes the No.9 seed is capable of troubling Djokovic but says it depends on “what Novak is showing up”.
“Lately we have seen a pretty determined and focused Novak showing up,” Haas said.
“The way he is striking the ball and even moving with his knee injury is really impressive and I think you can tell with everything around him that he really wants this title. He is so alert and noticing every little detail, so when he is like that, he is even more dangerous in my mind.
“Then you have a player like de Minaur who does everything really, really well, but he doesn’t have that killer serve or forehand, but does have legs, so he will make him play. If Novak does not show up at his best, there is always a possibility.”
‘IT SOUNDS NASTY, BUT WE ARE HERE TO WIN’ – THE AUSSIES ON WHAT DE MINAUR NEEDS TO DO
Todd Woodbridge believes de Minaur is capable of pulling off an upset if he is fully fit and plays “the match of his life”.
The doubles champion said the Davis Cup star should attempt to move Djokovic around as much as possible, to drop shot him and then double-foot him, saying that it was imperative de Minaur put the legend’s knee to the test.
“I think he’s got possibly the best chance he’s had in his career to beat one of these big guys in a slam tournament,” he said.
“Novak yesterday got better and as Novak tends to do, if he can get himself into tournaments, his level is rising. So Alex is going to have to play the match of his life.
“One element of his game that hasn’t been on point is his first serve percentage and he’s given too many opportunities for the opponent on second serve, and Novak is one of the greatest returners of all time, so he’s going to take advantage of that. That’s probably the key.
“The other part is working out how you’re going to make Novak move. You have got to test him all the time with his movement. Alex is a great mover.
“But on grass, one of the key things is getting the opponent forward, and then getting them back behind, or going in behind them, because they are the movements where you can tweak knees. It sounds nasty but you know what, we’re here to win.”
Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 US Open crown when defeating Serena Williams, believes the nine-time ATP Tour titleist will have his chances against the No.2 seed.
“I think he’s playing well enough at the moment in general that there’s going to be opportunities,” he said.
“It’s just whether or not he steps up in these moments, fully believes and commits to what he needs to do … when he gets that opportunity.
“If he doesn’t, you probably know what’s going to happen, so there’s no other choice but to back yourself in. He’s going to have to play exceptionally well, but there is no better opportunity for him than tomorrow.”
Philippoussis has loved the more assertive approach de Minaur has adopted and believes his ability to shorten points with his improved serve and forehand has been a factor in his push towards the top. But he said there is no greater challenge in tennis.
“Of course he can beat Djokovic. He’s got the game and the mentality to go up against anyone, but Djokovic’s confidence is growing with every match he’s playing,” he said.
“His confidence has also grown with his knee. The match he played (against Rune), his mentality even towards certain parts of the crowd, to be honest, I love to see that. That’s what we’d love to see. That’s the whole part of what he brings to the table.
“If you want to win a grand slam, you’ve got to play the best in the world and beat the best – and this guy is that.”
Source Agencies
