"He showed us the way, that anything is possible" - Laslo Djere on Novak Djokovic's impact on Serbian tennis
Novak Djokovic has carried Serbian tennis on his shoulders for nearly two decades. He is arguably the greatest athlete to have emerged from the nation and has served as a source of inspiration to many aspiring sportspeople, including fellow tennis player Laslo Djere.
Djere, who also hails from Serbia, will take on Djokovic in the second round of the Serbia Open later this week. Speaking at a press conference after his first-round victory over Hamad Medjedovic, Djere said he was relishing the prospect of going up against his childhood idol.
"I always looked up at him when I was a child. That change in the last couple of years, when I was able to play and train with him in tournaments ... That's why I have great respect for everything he did. Now I have to look at him as an opponent for tomorrow. He was a great motivator for all of us players from Serbia. He showed us the way, that anything is possible. It had a great effect. Now I have to forget about all that and focus on the match," Djere said.
Djere: I expect #Djokovic to play better than in MC. Pressure is on him, I will try to relax and give me best.
He paved the way for the rest of us, he’s my idol, but tomorrow he’s my rival.
"When you play against him you are never or almost never in the lead" - Laslo Djere on facing Novak Djokovic in Belgrade
Novak Djokovic has had a stop-start season thus far, competing in only two tournaments this year. He lost to Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals in Dubai and crashed out of Monte-Carlo following a second-round loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
However, Laslo Djere expects the World No. 1 to be firing on all cylinders during their second-round match-up in Belgrade.
"He did have only one match on clay, but when you play against him you are never or almost never in the lead. Maybe we're not even equal. Maybe he is not in shape, I watched him play in Monte Carlo, but in tennis things change quickly," Djere said.
Djere believes the pressure will be on the World No. 1 rather than himself.
"Now he is getting in shape, in the tournament routine, he missed a lot of tournaments because he could not go to some countries. I just have to give my maximum, to focus on myself, not to think too much about the result. The advantage is that the pressure will not be on me. If anyone needs to feel the pressure, it's him. But he handles perhaps the best of all tennis players. I will try to enter the match completely relaxed and enjoy," Djere added.
. @DjokerNole hard at work 😁😁
📸: @ndjokofan https://t.co/xhhs9cY3VO