SAN FRANCISCO, October 08, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic overcame what THEWILL noticed was a pestering left arm and an early deficit to reach the French Open semi-finals for the 10th time.
The top-seeded Serbian got off to a slow start on the scoreboard before coming back to beat No.17 seed Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4.
An early favourite to win at Roland Garros, Djokovic wore a bandage on his neck for the Wednesday tie and had problems with his left arm that seemed to ease after he was massaged by a trainer during changeovers.
But in his post-match interview, Carreno unleashed and said the Serbian was forced to use the medical time-out due to not being able to handle the pressure early on in the game.
“He didn’t surprise me (by asking for a medical time-out). It’s a good thing. It’s a sign that he is losing and that I was playing well, because he always does that,” the Spaniard said.
“Every time the match gets complicated, he asks for medical assistance. It’s something that he has been doing for years. When he is down, he asks for the trainer.
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“I don’t know, maybe it’s the pressure or something that he needs to do it. But, I mean, he continues playing normal, no? I don’t know if he’s (in) pain really or (the issue is) mental. Ask him.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
