Eight-meter high mural of Novak Djokovic immortalised in Trnovo

Source: Novak Djokovic's Facebook

An academic painter Milos Popovic, from East Sarajevo, painted an 8-metre giant sized mural depicting Novak Djokovic, on a residential building in Trnovo, near the capital of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Popovic said the initiative is the brainchild of the Tourist Organisation of the Municipality of Trnovo. 

Artist paints eight-metre mural of Novak Djokovic in Trnovo Photo taken on July 29, 2020. shows mural of Novak Djokovic on Srdjan Knezevic Square, in Trnovo, near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
📸 ArminxDurgut/PIXSELL pic.twitter.com/he4NtfJzK7

— C Kristjánsdóttir ●🐊 (@CristinaNcl) July 31, 2020

The artist believes the mural is the largest in the world dedicated to the Serbian who is currently the world's no. 1 tennis player. 

The project took him 5 days to complete with the help from graphic design students Djordje Pastar and Boris Tomic. 

Novak Djokovic reportedly ready to play at the US Open but wants exemption to quarantine

Source: Adam Hunger/AP

World no.1 Novak Djokovic is reportedly set to take part in the US Open, but only if the officials agree to waive off the quarantine requirement upon returning to Europe.

Meanwhile players around the world are still in doubt whether to take part in the upcoming US Open after the organisers announced the Grand Slam would go ahead despite an ongoing pandemic. Officials decided to go ahead with the major tournament from 31 August to 13 September, with the Rome and Madrid Masters planned between the French Open a few weeks later. The issue with some players is missing the Madrid and Rome Masters could impact their ranking points more than missing the Grand Slam in New York. 

Players such as Australian Nick Kyrgios have also expressed concerns about holding the tournament in the current climate. Rafael Nadal is set to miss defending his US Open title to prepare for a 13th Roland Garros.

Source: Adria Tour

Serbian Djokovic has been seen practicing on hard courts after cleared of coronavirus. He was recently forced to apologise after the Adria Tour he organised was forced to be cancelled due to safety concerns around the virus. Staged in his hometown Serbia, as well as neighbouring Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the event was cancelled after Grigor Dimitrov confirmed he had tested positive for the virus. Since then, Viktor Troicki, Borna Coric, Djokovic and his wife Jelena and coach Goran Ivanisevic have also revealed positive COVID-19 tests. Dimitrov, Coric and Jelena announced they too recovered from COVID-19.

Grigor Dimitrov recovered from COVID-19 and ready for the US Open

Source: Grigor Dimitrov's Instagram

Grigor Dimitrov announced on Instagram that he has recovered from COVID-19 and ready to get back to his training regime to prepare for the US hardcourt swing. The Bulgarian informed his fans that he has received the news from his doctor in Monaco that he is now confirmed negative for COVID-19. 

Three (3) weeks ago, Dimitrov and Borna Coric were both tested positive after participating in the Adria Tour events organised by Novak Djokovic. 

Coric has also took on Instagram to announce he is free from COVID-19 and has started practicing outdoor on hard court again.

 

View this post on Instagram

I just got great news from the doctor in Monaco that I am confirmed Covid-19 negative. Thank you for all the support these past weeks during my quarantine. I look forward to getting back to training shortly in order to be ready for the US hardcourt swing.

A post shared by Grigor Dimitrov (@grigordimitrov) on Jul 13, 2020 at 12:04pm PDT

 

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I’m corona-free and happy to be back on the court! It feels good to practice outdoors again ☀️

A post shared by Borna Coric (@bornacoric) on Jul 10, 2020 at 9:17am PDT

Murray second favourite for French Open

Andy Murray

(Image source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

Britain’s World number 1 Andy Murray is only second favourite to win the French Open in 2017. Murray ended the season with 6 consecutive tournament wins including the end of season ATP World Tour Finals where he defeated long time rival and former World number 1 Novak Djokovic.

Murray is a generous 4/1 at best with Free Bets to win his first French Open title. History has shown that its probably Murray’s least preferred Grand Slam tournaments as he has only ever made the final once, however he did make the final in 2016 and that level of improvement may demonstrate his improved performance on clay.

Novak Djokovic is overwhelming favourite to retain his French Open title at 5/4 with most bookmakers on betfreebets.uk. Djokovic’s form dipped towards the end of the 2016 season and he will surely be looking to get his place back as the World Number 1 and a win at Roland Garros may just be the event that allows him do achieve that status.

9 time winner and the most successful French open tennis player ever Rafael Nadal os 7/1 to reach a staggering tally of 10 Roland Garros titles, an achievement never likely to be seen again. The Spaniard has suffered with injuries in the last few years and this may be his final chance to end his career.

After an incredible action packed 2015/16 season, all eyes will be on the first major Grand Slam of the year in Paris and we may just see one of the up and coming stars of the tennis world gain a place amongst the tennis elite.

Murray brothers' bid to dominate the year-end rankings

Andy Murray

(Image source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe via Zimbio)

The Murray brothers' bid to dominate the year-end rankings is still going strong.

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares' place in the doubles semifinals at the O2 Arena was secured after  defeated Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 3-6, 10-6.

They might not even need to hit another ball to finish the season as the no.1 ranked doubles team, if Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who have already been eliminated, lose their final round robin match Friday.

2016 is an incredible year for the Murray brothers, with Andy cruising to win his third major at Wimbledon, retaining his Olympics title and ending Djokovic's 122-week domination at the top of the ATP singles rankings.

Jamie Murray

(Image source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe via Zimbio)

Meanwhile, Jamie and his doubles partner Soares scored two major titles in a single year - the Australian Open and the US Open doubles titles.

As for Andy, he will have a tough week ahead as he could face a winner-takes-all shootout in Sunday's final against Djokovic for the year-end no. 1 singles ranking. Before that, Andy has to take on Stanislas Wawrinka in the group match. If he can get past Wawrinka, Andy will top the group.

By winning the group match, Andy would avoid Djokovic in the semifinals, setting up the prospect of a final with the Serbian on Sunday and with the no. 1 ranking on the line.

No matter what happened, the Murray brothers have had their most amazing year in their career. Mom Judy must be really proud. You can bet on the Murray brothers from lots of different betting sites, that also offer a variety of games such a live roulette.

Stanislas Wawrinka beats Novak Djokovic to clinch maiden U.S. Open title

Image via Yahoo! Sports; Source: AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Stanislas Wawrinka became the oldest US Open men's champion in 46 years when he defeated world no. 1 Novak Djokovic to claim a third Grand Slam title. If you've followed Wawrinka's Grand Slam moment at Roland Garros against Djokovic in 2015, you'd definitely put your money on the Swiss again.

Wawrinka, 31, who has so often been in the shadow of his countryman Roger Federer, triumphed 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in 4 sets.

Wawrinka is the oldest winner of the men's tournament since 35-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1970 and the first over 30 to take the title since Pete Sampras in 2002.

Image via Yahoo! Sports; Source: AP Photo/Darron Cummings

It was the Swiss player's first title, following his breakthrough 2014 Australian Open championship and 2015 Roland Garros crown. On both those occasions, Djokovic had been the fall-guy, losing in Melbourne in the quarterfinals and ending as runner-up in Paris. That means, after cruises to his third Grand Slam titles, Wawrinka will only need to win at Wimbledon to complete a full set of four majors.

Djokovic, the 2011 and 2015 US Open champion, had been seeking a third Slam of the year and 13th major of his career.

Via sports.ndtv.com

Novak Djokovic appears to have lost his edge at the worst possible time

Image via Zimbio

Top-ranked male tennis player Novak Djokovic recently lost his opening match at the Rio Olympics as well as his first round doubles match, prompting many insiders to wonder what is going on in the mind of the world’s best tennis player. With Djokovic out of the Olympics, Andy Murray is now the tennis betting odds favorite to win the Gold medal at the Olympics.

During his singles loss, Djokovic was outplayed by Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 winner of the U.S. Open. Despite the fact that he was unranked, del Potro has defeated Djokovic in the past, but the victory over Djokovic in Rio has to be among his top career achievements.

After the match, Djokovic called the loss one of the toughest in his career during an emotional press conference. While some people are speculating that the loss is what moved Djokovic to tears, what they fail to realize is that Djokovic was likely thinking long-term when he let his emotions get the best of him.

At 29-years-old, Djokovic might have missed his last chance to win the Olympic Gold. By the time the next summer games comes around, he will be 32, which will be the back end of his career, making it harder to compete with the younger players.

Djokovic, who won the Australian and French Opens this year, is likely suffering from some mental fatigue right now. Shortly after crashing out in Rio, he announced his plans to skip the Cincinnati Masters.

The move to skip the Masters is baffling to some people, who believe playing in it will help Djokovic get over the disappointment in Rio, and help him get his game back on track. The experts also believe playing in the Cincinnati Masters will provide Djokovic a great opportunity to prepare for a possible showdown with Milos Raonic at the U.S. Open.

However, since Djokovic decided not to participate in the Cincinnati Masters, it means he would go into the U.S. Open having played only one competitive game in the span of a month.

Djokovic remains in Rio to support Serbian basketball team during a men's round Group A basketball match between his home country and France. (Image via Zimbio)

While it might not make sense to those of us watching from the sidelines, Djokovic’s decision to skip the Masters isn’t something he would have made lightly. He could be nursing an undisclosed injury or just needs some time for his body to heal. He might also just want to get a little rest and relaxation before the U.S. Open begins.

One of the reasons people are so surprised about Djokovic’s loss in Rio is the fact that he is one of the most focused players on tour, but he appears to lack focus at the moment. Some believe the fact that he finally achieved his career Grand Slam when he won the French Open earlier this year, took away some of the edge he has been playing with for years.

At Wimbledon, Djokovic said all the right things, but his play wasn’t up to his usual standards, which is why it wasn’t very surprising that he lost.

With the time he has between now and the U.S. Open, Djokovic needs to figure out what is holding him back and resolve the issue if he wants to win the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year and the third time in his career.

A birthday cake for Novak Djokovic

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic was presented with an impressive multi-tiered tennis-themed birthday cake that came with edible tennis balls and a miniature racquet on the first day of the French Open tournament on Sunday. He also received a towel embroidered with his name by France's Davis Cup captain Guy Forget as his birthday present.

Djokovic who was upset by Stan Wawrinka in last year's French Open final, will begin his campaign against Taiwanese qualifier Rendy Lu Yen-hsun today. Overall, the Serb has a comfortable draw until the semifinals where he is scheduled to play nine-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Nevertheless, pressure is mounting on Djokovic to win the only major that has eluded him. While, Nadal is still finding his best form on clay surface, Andy Murray has risen and poses serious threat after defeated Djokovic at the Italian Open two weeks ago.

"Of course I anticipate myself, as everybody else (does), to try to get my hands on this title this year," Djokovic said.

"Even if my career was done tomorrow, I made some achievements that I must be proud of. So that's how I approach things. I don't try to approach them from a point of view of being obsessed with this tournament or with any other tournament, for that matter."

Should he win the French Open, Djokovic will become only the eighth player in history to complete a career Grand Slam of Australian, French, Wimbledon and US titles.

(Via ESPN, Images via Daily Mail Online)

Andy Murray and the quest for Wimbledon glory

This summer, Andy Murray will once again be Great Britain’s main hope for a success at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Since bursting onto the scene in 2005, Murray has matured into a fan favourite and the British number one is particularly well supported at his home event... but is he good enough to win this year’s competition?

On current form, yes. Murray has been phenomenal throughout the last eighteen months and the Scot is surely on the verge of a third Grand Slam title if he continues to play at his very best. At the time of writing, punters who want to bet on Andy Murray to win this year’s tournament can get 4/1 on the British number one to do just that.

But it will NOT be easy. Novak Djokovic is at the top of his game and the Serbian is on target to surpass Roger Federer’s all-time record of 17 Grand Slam titles. The world number one will be hoping to end his French Open drought next month before Wimbledon and Djokovic may benefit from the added confidence boost if he wins a maiden title at Roland Garros.

If Murray faces Djokovic in the final of the competition, it will be a titanic clash between two of tennis’ top heavyweights. Both players are capable of beating each other on their day and it would take a brave man to back against either player – especially considering Djokovic’s record over Murray but Murray’s support at the Wimbledon event.

One player who could once again throw a spanner in the works is Roger Federer. Last year, the Swiss superstar produced a world class performance to knock Murray out in the semi-final stage and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the 34-year-old go all the way this summer. After all, it might be his last realistic opportunity to win the Wimbledon crown...

And while Federer is decent value at 6/1 in Betway’s betting markets, all eyes will be on Murray as he attempts to get the better of Djokovic in what is widely regarded as the most prestigious event on the tennis calendar. Wimbledon is, without a doubt, the one that everyone wants to win and with a bit of luck, Murray can continue his assault on the tennis world.

Djokovic will be Murray’s main threat this summer and the British number one will have to be at his best to cope with the resilient Serbian. However, Murray could take advantage of Djokovic’s busier schedule – especially after he had a break following the Australian Open in January.

Novak Djokovic continues to dominate men's tennis with 63rd career title in Miami

World no.1 Novak Djokovic continued his domination of men's tennis with a 6-3 6-3 win over fellow Uniqlo's ambassador Kei Nishikori in the Miami Open final at Key Biscayne, a win which sees him become tennis' all-time leading money winner.

Djokovic collected a sum of USD1,028,300 on weekend and his career earnings has approached USD100 million.

With four titles in 2016, following victories at the Australian Open, Qatar and Indian Wells, Djokovic will definitely be looking forward to the upcoming clay court season. The French Open remains to be the only Grand Slam title that is missing from his collection.

The Serbian only needed 85 minutes to join Andre Agassi as a six-time Miami Open winner.

Djokovic said his first Miami win in 2007 paved the way for a career that now includes a massive total of 63 ATP titles.

"It gave me a lot of confidence, a lot of self belief that I can finally win these big tournaments, finally beat the top players," he said.

"Every year I come back to this tournament I get goose bumps from those days. I was still 19 years old and making my way to the top."

Djokovic seems invincible and untouchable at the moment

It was his fourth consecutive championship, and a record 28th overall, in the Masters 1000.

(Images via Zimbio)

2015 Final Rankings - Men

When looking at last season’s performances of the top 5 on the ATP list there are some pretty clear conclusions to draw from it. This was definitely a year to remember for Nole and a year of misery and disappointment for Rafa. Murray’s season was a huge improvement compared to 2014, which he mostly spent recovering from injury. And the Swiss duo of Federer and Wawrinka played to the best of their capabilities, but didn’t warrant a top 2 position at the end of the year.

1. Novak Djokovic

This year there was a period of three months when Novak lost just once. The Serb had an absolutely brilliant season, which includes wins at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in which he only missed on the final played in Madrid and reached a record breaking 8 finals in the process.

This was complemented by a third win in his fourth final appearance at Wimbledon, and a win at the Australian Open. That win at the Australian Open was so comprehensive and dominant (he didn’t lose a set in the first five rounds) that many fans of Djokovic compared it to a dream-come-true performance.

And if you want to experience the same feelings that Nole’s fans regularly do, you don’t have to go all the way to Australia, you only need to visit Australia’s best new online casinos because this is where dreams come true.

The only negative, in an otherwise stellar season for Djokovic, was the loss in the Roland Garros final, when Stan Wawrinka prevented him from finishing off one of the greatest ever runs in a tournament, and completing a career Grand Slam. In Paris Nole didn’t drop a set in the first five rounds, beat Murray in a match that lasted for two days, and beat Nadal on his favourite surface at his favourite tournament, but still couldn’t prevail when faced with ‘Stan the Man’.

2. Andy Murray

Murray entered the 2015 season by failing to win in 36 events on clay, but all that changed with his victory in Munich over home favourite Philipp Kohlschreiber. He also entered the year with the embarrassing stat of not being in the top 4 of the rankings for a full year.

That changed when the UK native managed to get to the Australia Open Final, only to be defeated by Novak Djokovic in four sets. He also got to the semi-finals at Roland Garros, but again lost to Djokovic, this time in five sets.

This was also the year in which he joined the elite company of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the only players to get to at least the semi-final round in all nine of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments.

3. Roger Federer

Numbers 3 and 4 are reserved for the Swiss duo of Federer and Wawrinka. Federer managed to win in the first edition of the Istanbul Open, and the Turkish city became the 19^th place where a tournament was won by the Swiss maestro.

He also reached his forty-first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final on Rome’s clay, and by winning in Halle, he took his tally at his favourite grass court to eight titles. By doing this he became the fifth tennis player to win eight titles at a single tournament.

4. Stanislas Wawrinka

Wawrinka will probably remember this season as the year in which he managed to defeat Nadal, Federer and Djokovic on clay. This was also the second season in a row in which he reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. But when he got there he lost to Gasquet. He went one step further in the US Open where he was defeated in straight sets by Roger Federer.

However, the tournament by which Wawrinka will definitely remember this season is the French Open. On the clay courts of Paris he defeated Federer in straight sets, in what was his first win over his compatriot in a major tournament. He then outplayed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis, earning himself a place in the final against the top seeded Djokovic. He won in four sets, and in doing so he defeated the most in-form player this season.

5. Rafael Nadal

2015 was a season to forget for Rafa. It was a year in which his confidence was shattered. He tried, but couldn’t get past his so called ‘mental injury’ and prompted many to start speculating that the best was behind the Spaniard and that his injuries have dealt the final blow.

He did recover however, and started looking like his former self. In the second part of the season by playing noticeably better he managed to take his tally of wins to 61, which when combined with the 21 losses he suffered this season, is not such a bad wins-to-games ratio.

 But we are talking of a serial winner here, and that win ratio of 75%, was his worst since 2004, and was achieved by playing part in as many matches that he could. He won most of those matches, but got eliminated when the going got tough and when he had to reach the latter rounds.

Rafa will certainly hope that 2016 will be much better for him. It surely cannot get any worse than this. Or can it? We’ll all have to wait and see whether his doubters were right, and whether his career is on a downward spiral already.

The Top 3 Favourites to Win the Us Open and the Dark Horses

The Top 3 Favourites to Win the Us Open and the Dark Horses The fourth and the last Grand Slam event of the year is just round the corner, and exciting matches are bound to happen. According to TonyBet bookie some favourites are very clear, but as last year’s US Open has shown, a dark-horse win can always happen. Here’s the top 3 leading players in our opinion – both at men’s and women’s courts – and the extra potential dark horses to watch out for.

Men’s Favourites:

1. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is firmly at the top of the ATP rankings. The world‘s no. 1 has already triumphed in two Grand Slam events this years – the Australian Open and Wimbledon – and went through to the finals in French Open. Even with these results, he lost to Roger Federer in Cincinnati and before that, to Andy Murray in Montreal Masters, both times playing in the finals. This shows he can be beaten – but he may also be saving up his best form for the US Open.

2. Roger Federer

While Roger Federer haven‘t had as impressive a year as Djokovic, he still did well in the previous Grand Slam events, climbing up from third round in Australian Open, to the quarter-finals in the French Open, to the final in Wimbledon. The Swiss legend has been named 2nd seed and whilst he lost again to Djokovic in Wimbledon finals, Federer then beat him in Cincinnati, along with a win against Murray in the semis. He seems to be in a brilliant form and definitely has good chances at winning.

3. Andy Murray

The world‘s no. 3 has won the US Open in 2012, but hasn‘t gone further than the quarter-final ever since. Murray started the 2015‘s Grand Slam going to the finals in the Australian Open, followed by making it to the semi-finals in both the French Open and Wimbledon. He has managed to beat one of his main contenders, Djokovic, in Montreal Masters, but afterwards lost to Federer in the semi-final in Cincinnati. Still, he is able to win the championship if he‘s in a good form.

The Dark Horse: Grigor Dimitrov

For a good chunk of promising players it would be quite a jump to dominate the US Open, however, Grigor Dimitrov looks like the one who just might be able to do it. Although it‘s admittedly unlikely that the world‘s 17th would become the champion, his recent loss against Murray actually revealed that he’s in a good enough form and what’s lacking is mostly in his mental game. Dimitrov has competed in all Grand Slam events, going to 4th round in Australian Open, 1st in French Open and 3rd in Wimbledon.

Women’s Favourites:

1. Serena Williams

The phrase “Serena Williams is the only Serena William’s real contender” is quickly becoming a big cliché in the tennis world. The world’s no. 1 is in absolutely amazing form, having already won three of the major titles this year and is going for a calendar year Grand Slam. Besides, she’s already won US Open 6 times, and she’s a three-time defending champion. By now, it’s going to be far more surprising if Williams doesn’t win rather than if she does.

2. Victoria Azarenka

The Belarusian is a former no. 1 and current 20th seed. She has made it to the US Open finals twice, and to the quarter finals last year. Victoria Azarenka‘s 2015 season is looking very solid so far, and even though Williams looks unbeatable, Azarenka is the one tennis player that could challenge the no.1 - if she‘s in a good form. Even with her left thigh injury that had her retire from Cincinnati, Azarenka should be able to play some world-class tennis.

3. Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova hasn’t won a Grand Slam title this year yet, but she made it to the finals in Australian Open, semi-finals in Wimbledon and the fourth round in French Open. She was ranked as the 3rd seed, and should be well rested to play in the US Open, as she hasn’t had any matches since Wimbledon. Sharapova had a good year, and she will be a tough challenge for any opponent in the upcoming tournament.

The Dark Horse: Belinda Bencic

The world‘s no. 12 is only 18 years old – and yet she managed to beat S. Williams in Toronto on 16th of August. Overcoming the world’s no. 1 on an extremely good year – even though it wasn’t in a Grand Slam event – shows that Belinda Bencic definitely has the potential to be the next big name in tennis. However, in Cincinnati she had to retire with a right wrist injury. If that doesn’t prevent her from being is a good shape, Bencic should be able to shake up the tennis world in the upcoming US Open. The first round of the US Open 2015 starts on Monday, 31st of August, and the championship will conclude on September 13th. Marin Cilic is the defending champion in the men’s singles, whilst Serena Williams is the three-time defending champion in the women’s singles. Together, the participating tennis players will share more than 40 million US dollars in prize money.

Images via US Open official website