straight sets, Novak won 70% of his first serve points and had six aces and no double faults.  In his semifinal victory over Federer at the Australian Open, Djokovic won 73% of his first serve points, had six aces and five double faults, but he served well in the key moments in that match.  The main aspect of Djokovic’s serve which has changed in the past year is that he has “tightened” his service motion, particularly his backswing, which appears to be smaller, and that seems to have helped his overall rhythm and effectiveness.

Djokovic commented recently on his improved serve and the impact it’s had on his performance.  "I'm a different player in last year. I have a serve.  Last year, the serve was not there and I was struggling a lot. I was using a lot of energy. Now I get to have some free points, which is important."  As a player such as Maria Sharapova could attest, serving woes can affect the rest of a player’s game because of all of the mental energy and stress that become a part of the struggles to win each service game, let alone simply getting the serve in the court or earning free points.  Djokovic is now a serious contender for every Grand Slam, as well as the Number One ranking.  Novak has beaten all the other top players including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the past and if he can stay healthy, he should hover near the top of the game for many years given the versatility of his game, his quick movement and the return of his all-important serve!

Posted by TC at 08:21 PM |