SM
Ipswich vs. Man United: 12 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Goran Ivanisevic claims Novak Djokovic was harshly treated at US Open

:Headline: Goran Ivanisevic claims Novak Djokovic was harshly treated at US Open: ID:413961: from db_amp
Novak Djokovic was defaulted for hitting a line judge with a ball hit in annoyance.

Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic believes the world number one should not have been disqualified from the US Open and has backed him to win the French Open.

Djokovic's campaign in New York came to a shocking and premature end when he was thrown out of the tournament after accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball hit in annoyance during his fourth-round match against Pablo Carreno Busta.

Djokovic issued a swift apology, and the reaction from within tennis has been a widespread acceptance that tournament officials had little option but to eject him.

Novak Djokovic checks on the condition of the line judge he accidentally hit (Seth Wenig/AP)

Ivanisevic was sat in the stands and feared the worst straight away, but does not think the punishment fitted the crime.

The former Wimbledon champion told Sport Klub: "I didn't see it, but I heard the woman below us sigh and I knew right away that was it – goodbye.

"The most tragic thing is that he wasn't angry at all when he lost that game. The only mistake is that he didn't look, that he threw the ball looking forward, not behind him.

"I'm not talking about Novak now, I am generally against disqualification. It is meaningless to me. If you come and knock the referee off the chair (then OK), but this was completely unintentional.

“It is not easy for him, it was a huge shock that nobody expected”
- Goran Ivanisevic

"The rules are as they are, either you are warned or you are disqualified, which in my opinion is stupid. I am not objective, but I don't think he should have been disqualified, he should have been given a game penalty."

Djokovic had been an overwhelming favourite to win an 18th grand-slam title, which would have brought him within two of Roger Federer's all-time record.

He had not lost a match all season, which made the nature of his exit all the harder to take.

Ivanisevic and Djokovic headed back to the house they were renting for the tournament, and the Croatian said: "How could it be? Awful. He was by himself for a while, and then we talked.

Djokovic pleaded to be allowed to continue in the tournament (Seth Wenig/AP)

"It is not easy for him, it was a huge shock that nobody expected. He was the favourite, he played great, and the tournament before that.

"I had all the scenarios in my head – that someone on the team might get infected (with Covid-19), so they kicked him out of the tournament, that he might get hurt and even lose. But I didn't have this, even in my wildest dreams, in my head."

Djokovic returned to Europe and turned his attention to the rescheduled clay-court season. He had his first practice in Rome on Friday ahead of next week's tournament, while the French Open begins on September 27.

Ivanisevic is not concerned about a hangover, saying: "Novak is a born winner and he will come out of this even stronger and better. If he wins Roland Garros, which I think he can, this will be forgotten as if it never happened."

amp_article__413961 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-09-11 21:23:41:
html db last update - 2020-09-11 21:23:41 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Novak Djokovic

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton121110924-154
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .