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“Novak Was Kind”: Jannik Sinner Thanks Novak Djokovic for Giving Tips After Monte-Carlo Masters Loss
19-year-old Jannik Sinner has unquestionably proved himself worthy of his new career-high ranking of World No. 19. Currently debuting at Barcelona Open 2021, the Italian reflected upon the advice he received from Novak Djokovic last week.
Previously, the Italian teenage sensation faced Serbian World No. 1 in the second round of Monte-Carlo Masters. Although he lost the match, he received high praise and valuable advice from the 18-time Grand Slam champion.
Jannik Sinner on advice received from Novak Djokovic
Riccardo Piatti, coach of Jannik Sinner, was the one to approach Novak Djokovic immediately after the Monte-Carlo match. Unsurprisingly, the 33-year-old Serbian was happy to help.
Following that, Riccardo mentioned that they brought the advice into practice from the very next day. They might also be getting implemented at the Barcelona Open 2021.
Sinner fended off Egor Gerasimov 6-3, 6-2 in less than one hour in his first-ever match in Barcelona. Post-match, the 19-year-old expressed gratitude towards the Serbian for his insights.
The Italian said, “Riccardo knows Djokovic and his team very well. Novak was kind to give us his point of view and to tell us how we can improve. I thank him for the advice which we followed and from which we took inspiration to start working immediately afterwards.”
(All quotes are translated from Italian to English via Google Translate).
When inquired about those tips, Jannik replied, “Well, what he told me I don’t tell, I keep it to myself.” However, his improvements will test out thoroughly against his next opponent in Barcelona.
Once again, Jannik will take on Spanish World No.11 Roberto Bautista Agut for a seat in the Barcelona quarterfinals. Interestingly, the Italian has a clean 2-0 record against the Spaniard. But more significantly, he has never faced the clay-specialist on his favored surface before.
Read More: “One of the Most Conservative Sports”: Novak Djokovic Calls for Innovation in Tennis
What is up ahead for Sinner and Djokovic in 2021?
While Jannik is competing in Barcelona, Djokovic is busy playing in his home tournament Serbia Open 2021. The Serb came through Kwon Soon-woo 6-1, 6-3 and will take on compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals.
Moreover, both Jannik and Novak have an extensive clay-court season still ahead of them. The duo will be looking forward to finding their best game for the French Open 2021 next month.
Hopefully, the Italian teenager, who humbly analyses every match as a learning process, will keep entertaining us with his tennis for many more years to come. Let us see if his game passes the Bautista Agut test once again.
For regular updates on Serbia Open, you can visit the tournament’s official Instagram and Twitter handles.
The post “Novak Was Kind”: Jannik Sinner Thanks Novak Djokovic for Giving Tips After Monte-Carlo Masters Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
