The Serbian superstar needed another medical timeout on his injured left hamstring after falling to the court on winning the first set tie-break. But the nine-time champion got up to see off No.27 seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 6-3 6-4.
Djokovic revealed: “It’s a specific movement that just triggers the pain. I pray it is not going to happen but it happens every match so I have to deal with it. I called the physio and got the pills in my system.
“It’s helped so far – not ideal but somehow finding a way. This is high-level professional sport – you’ve got to find a way.
“Pills kick in, some hot cream and stuff. That works for a little bit, then it doesn’t, then works again. It’s really a rollercoaster, honestly.
“The way it looked just before the tournament, I thought it wouldn’t be possible.
This story is from the January 22, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
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This story is from the January 22, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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