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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2020

Novak Djokovic

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

N. DJOKOVIC/M. Raonic

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough question to answer. You had six match points versus Federer, two at the US Open twice, two at Wimbledon. You saved those. Federer today had seven in one match. What is more surprising between the two situations, saving between Federer or Sandgren?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know. I can't compare it.

What he did today was amazing. He showed me he's one of the best players of all time. I mean, he never gives up. When it matters the most, he's focused and he plays his best tennis.

Sandgren had chances. Out of those seven match points, there were five match points where they actually had rallies. But credit to Roger. Amazing that he managed to come back.

Q. A question about your serve. Your second serve speed is up about 10 kilometers per hour. Are you hitting more slice and flat? If so why?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm hitting everything I can in terms of the variety of spin, slice, flat, hitting the spots, body, wide, T. I'm trying to mix it up all the time.

Obviously depends who I play against. Obviously I have different tactic depending on the opponent. I feel that my serve this year so far in ATP Cup and also Australian Open has been terrific. It allowed me to win a lot of free points.

When I'm serving well and getting a high percentage of first serves in, it allows me to feel more comfortable, more confident, kind of step in and play at the higher level of tennis.

We worked a lot, as I said, in the off-season on my serve. I'm feeling great. I have a great rhythm. Obviously I know that different surfaces, different times require different adjustments.

But in terms of the way I've been serving now, it has been some of the best serving I've had in my career, for sure.

Q. Losing your mentor, could you reflect on what we can learn from this impermanence, this loss?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know what we can learn. I mean, this is something that is completely unexpected. It was a shock for all of us. I mean, he's 40 years old. He used a helicopter that he owned many times. He was telling me he was using that for training, business meetings, anything that had a range of 200 kilometers around L.A., he was going with a helicopter.

It's not like he's been using it rarely. I don't know. I mean, it's really sad. His daughter is 13 years old. I don't know what to say, to be honest. I'm sorry. I'm heartbroken, honestly, with what has happened.

Q. You obviously were having problems with your eyes. In the long 5-All game in the third set, you looked to your bench, tapped your stomach and mouthed the word 'stomach'. Did you also have a stomach problem?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I had several different things. I did say on the court that I did feel bad to go out from the court in 4-All. It was not a changeover. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was doing that tactically. But it really was necessary for me to change lenses and just try to solve that issue that I had with eyes for those several games.

I mean, I was lucky really to have served well and get myself out of the trouble. He was very close to win that third set. After that, in tiebreak, it was better. I mean, I could see the ball better.

Q. You've lost some matches to Roger recently, but generally you've had the edge. I think also in Grand Slams he hasn't beaten you since 2012. What's your explanation for that? Do you have a clear understanding of why that is?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Not particularly, to be honest. But I know that whenever we get a chance to play each other, we understand it takes a big effort and it's required from us to come up with the best game in order to win against each other.

Wimbledon last year, he had two match points, he was one shot away from winning that match. It's not like I've been dominating the matchups. I've had success against him, as you said, in Grand Slams in particular.

But Roger is Roger. You know that he's always going to play on such a high level, regardless of the surface. He loves to play these kind of matches, big rivalries, semis, finals of Grand Slams.

I mean, he's probably going to confirm that that's probably the biggest reason why he's still competing, to be able to compete at the Grand Slams against the best players in the world.

What he did today was really amazing. I mean, to come back and save seven match points at his age, I mean, he's still playing such a great tennis and proving that he deserves to be up there. He's a great fighter. Obviously I have lots of respect for him.

But I've been feeling well on the court. I think if I continue playing the way I was throughout the tournament here and also ATP Cup, I've been building I think as the time passes by, in every match, I have more confidence, I feel better.

In the end of the day, this is my favorite court, I mean, the court where I had the most success in my career. Hopefully things can come together for me in a positive way on Thursday and I can have a chance to win.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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