Why facing Novak Djokovic is the ultimate Australian Open dream for super fan Tomas Etcheverry
Novak Djokovic is getting used to playing against opponents who view him as their idol and that will certainly be the case when he takes on Tomas Etcheverry at the Australian Open.
Defending champion Djokovic has not been at his best in the opening two matches and now he comes up against a rival who would be realising a dream if he beats the Serbian on Rod Laver Arena.
Etcheverry has beaten Andy Murray and Gael Monfils impressively to reach the third round, but he faces the ultimate test in Djokovic and it is clear what this match means to him.
“I love him, it is true because since I was a child I wanted to be like him,” said Etcheverry of Djokovic at Wimbledon last year.
“I play with the same racquet like Novak, because when I changed brands to HEAD, the first racquet I asked for was the Novak racquet.
“I wanted to play with the Novak racquet. I’m trying to do some shots like him. Of course, he’s my idol, and hopefully, in the future, I can speak with him.
“I think he always does the best thing. I’m always watching him and trying to learn from him. He can play on all surfaces, he can make every shot – he’s so special. But also, he’s a good person.
“He’s always trying to help us, the players. During the pandemic two years ago, I remember that he always spoke through the PTPA to help us, the players that are 200, 300 in the world and have no money.
“He’s always spent a lot of time with us, which is very special. He was the No. 1 in the world and he tried to speak with everyone. There’s a lot of things.”
Etcheverry also gave his view on the enduring debate over who is the greatest player of all-time and he insisted Djokovic will be remembered as a more prolific champion than his big rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
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“With Grand Slams and everything. There’s three of them in history – Roger, Rafa, and Novak – and in the numbers, he beat every record,” he added.
“He is complete, everything is perfect, he makes you feel it when you play against him. You don’t see gaps. You say, ‘Where the hell do I play?’ And you can’t find it.
“He returns well, he does it well with his backhand, it goes deep. With his forehand – if it is comfortable – he hits you the winner. The physical movement is incredible, the range is great, it can play you slow, it can play you fast, it has many variants.
“But above all on a mental level, it is much superior. What surprises me is how hungry he still is at 36 years old. After having achieved everything, he is hungrier than anyone and that is impressive.”
Djokovic has confirmed he is expecting a tough match against Etcheverry, as he looks to find his best form after an uncertain start to his latest title defence in Melbourne.
“He beat Monfils and Murray, quite comfortably both matches. I will have to do my homework and see how he played those matches,” he said of Etcheverry.
“Yeah, results are really impressive. He’s obviously playing maybe tennis of his life on the hard court. Tomas is a great guy. I get along very well with him and his team. Obviously on the court we’re going to be opponents. We both want to win.
“I’m going to try to, yeah, learn from the previous matches we had. But I think his level of tennis on the hard court particularly has improved a lot. Results are a testament to that. I have to be very, very prepared and ready for that.”
Djokovic holds a 2-0 record from previous meetings with Etcheverry, but this will be their first clash in a Grand Slam event.
