Dusan Lajovic doesn’t expect much backing when he faces Novak Djokovic
Dusan Lajovic is trying not to play the occasion when he faces Novak Djokovic in the Banja Luka quarter-finals.
Lajovic could be in position for a huge upset if Djokovic fails to lift his game after a three-set battle against French qualifier Luca van Assche.
However, Lajovic isn’t getting ahead of himself as he is hit with the enormity of the task at hand.
He feels that it will be important for him to stay grounded in another clash with his illustrious opponent.
“I was a little more nervous than usual this morning,” Lajovic said after storming past France’s Grégoire Barrère.
“I analyzed too much at the beginning of the match about what was happening and whether I might play with Novak (Djokovic) tomorrow… When I focused only on the court and what I needed to do, it was better, every match requires something different.
“I’ve been in good shape lately – confidence is hard to come by and easy to lose, so you have to embrace every moment.” He would add.
While Djokovic has struggled to find his rhythm, Lajovic enjoyed an incredible purple patch on his way to the big win.
He belted 24 straight points past Barrere ina feat that he feels has been unmatches in his career to date.
“I don’t know if that has ever happened to me.” Lajovic said of his 24-point streak in the win.
“In the second set, I managed to do the right things. What I planned from the beginning of the match. When he saw that there was no solution, he tried everything or nothing, and in these conditions, it is difficult to do that, so he missed a lot.”
Lajovic feels that his chances against Djokovic will be slim but he will give himself a better chance by staying calm.
“For sure, a lot more people will be rooting for Nole in our match, but that’s nothing new. I hope I can enjoy the atmosphere,” Lajovic commented.
“He got me pretty smoothly last time (and) it’s going to be a big challenge. I will try to relax.”
Djokovic has not lost to a fellow Serbian in over a decade with his last defeat to a compatriot coming against Janko Tipsarevic all the way back at the 2012 Madrid Open.
The world No 1 is struggling with an elbow injury and hasn’t found his best game on the Banja Luka clay just yet.