MALAGA, SPAIN (AP) – Novak Djokovic is not ready to start letting down just yet.
The top-ranked Djokovic wants to keep his momentum going for one last week and cap a great season in style with the Davis Cup title.
Djokovic, who won three Grand Slams this year, will lead Serbia against Britain in the last quarterfinal of the Davis Cup Finals on Thursday.
“It’s the last week of the season so one final push is necessary from each one of us, and I’m excited because I have been playing some really good tennis, particularly in the last four months,” said Djokovic, who won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way I performed in the semifinals and finals of Torino, so hopefully I’m carrying this kind of energy and performance level to the Davis Cup,” he said.
Djokovic flew to Malaga shortly after his win in Turin to start preparing for the Davis Cup.
“I came the next day. I got a day and a half of rest and I started training right away, because obviously there is not much time to really leave the racket aside,” he said. “Davis Cup has been and is one of my greatest goals of this season and always is. Hopefully I will be able to contribute to win.”
Djokovic is on a 20-match winning streak in Davis Cup singles, going back to a loss via retirement to Juan Martin del Potro in Serbia’s 2011 semifinal loss to Argentina.
Djokovic’s last loss in a completed Davis Cup singles match was in 2009. He is tied with Nenad Zimonjic at the top of the list for most Davis Cup match-wins by a Serbian player.
Djokovic helped Serbia win its first Davis Cup title in 2010.
Depleted Britain
Seeking an 11th Davis Cup trophy, and first since its drought-breaking victory in 2015, Britain will take on Serbia without Andy Murray and Dan Evans because of injuries.
The Brits, aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time in four years, will be led by No. 18 Cameron Norrie and No. 60 Jack Draper. Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury are set to play in the doubles.
“Britain is one of the greatest tennis nations out there and a very strong team in this format,” Djokovic said. “We are a team that don’t have any doubles specialists. We rely on singles, but if it comes to doubles, we are also ready to pair up in the different combinations and give it all.”
