Djokovic continues to suffer, but his medical problems are causing controversy

Ailing defending champion Novak Djokovic can only avoid elimination. The Serbian returned to fight with his body, which not everyone can believe.

When a primal scream from Novak Djokovic echoed through the empty Rod Laver Arena 20 minutes after midnight, the defending champion’s relief was evident. The world number one had fought, trembled and suffered against American Taylor Fritz (ATP 27) for just under three and a half hours until reaching the round of 16. “This is without a doubt one of the most special victories of my career, regardless of the round and the opponent,” said Djokovic. “I don’t know how I won the game.”

An abdominal muscle injury, which he claimed to have suffered at the beginning of the third set in a round, upset the tournament winner record. With 1: 2 in the third set, Djokovic left the seat to seek medical help. Even after that, he massaged himself over and over into the visibly bruised affected area that he tormented for the rest of the game.

Taylor Fritz says of his opponent’s ups and downs: “If he was really injured, he wouldn’t have played. It seemed like he had to fight in the third and fourth sets, but in the fifth set it no longer seemed like a fight to him … Maybe he just fought his way through. I am happy for him that he has recovered so well. “

Djokovic, who won 33 of his 43 games in five sets, said he was feeling better again towards the end of the fourth set. “I was in severe pain and took the highest possible dose of pain medication.” He still does not know if he will be able to compete on Sunday. “I’m worried because it’s serious.” He also canceled the mandatory press conference due to physical complaints.

Dead times: No premiere in Djokovic

Thanasi Kokkinakis doesn’t really believe in drama. The talented Australian, who only had to admit defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets after four and a half hours into his second round comeback, poked fun at ‘Djoker’ on Twitter: ‘Heal a muscle strain in two days? ! Show me that. “The 24-year-old later deleted the tweet. As a good friend of Djokovic’s arch nemesis, Kyrgios, he is certainly not entirely unbiased.

But it is also a fact that Djokovic often seems to need medical help in Australia. Last year he needed a medical time-out in both the semi-finals against Roger Federer and the final against Dominic Thiem. “He had a sudden drop in energy,” Djokovic said, explaining his free time, which, explosively, he took when he was behind.

John McEnroe and Lleyton Hewitt publicly criticized him. Many fans also see their timeouts more as a tactical tool than a necessary health measure.

One thing is clear: His reputation for time-outs will not improve with opponents due to the increase in “resurrections” on the court. In the round of 16, Djokovic would face Canadian Milos Raonic. If he’s in shape by then. Forecast: Will compete.