Why would anyone retire at 3-6, 2-3? I find it quite unsportsmanlike when Djokovich did that against Federer.?

Question

Why would anyone retire at 3-6, 2-3? I find it quite unsportsmanlike when Djokovich did that against Federer.?

Answer 1

He needs to mature like Federer. Roger was ailing during the Aussie Open yet he played his best up to the bitter end. Had Federer beaten Tsonga and faced Novak in the finals, then maybe Djokovic would have felt bad if Roger retired at any stage of the championship and spoil the thrill. In the end, its the fans who are short changed since they expect to watch a good match, only to be treated to a half-finished one.

Answer 2

I thought that at first too til I read one of the articles that explained why he retired.  He was not feeling well according to the article.  He said that he is going to try and get a diagnosis.

A year or two ago Justine Henin was criticized for not completing the final at the Australian Open when she was complaining about issues with her stomach.  Turned out that she had a pretty bad virus.

The situation could be the same here but we won't know for a few more days.

Answer 3

Truth is he says he was ill. so, I believe it.

He's retired more matches than not when he was WINNING.

We can all have our opinions. And of course anyone who has the slightest disliking for him would start to use this as an opportunity to bash him.

Novak puts his health first, he says, so we have to respect that.

I agree with tennis is the best, in another question, if the game had been closer, he probably would have tried, but since he was so far behind, he didn't want to risk his health, as he had breathing problems.  

He doesn't need to please you or any other basher, He's got plenty of support and love from fans.

Answer 4

I agree with hotchick and inso, Federer was ailing at the Australian Open as well yet he let it finished the match like a champion that never gives up! even though he lose. The fact that Djokovic retired and didn't finish the match only shows how classless Djokovic and his family are!!

Answer 5

"Djokovic Taps Out Again"

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2008-04-26...

Flashback --  hypocritical Djokovic said the following about Roger’s illness: ‘Give me credit, says Open champ Djokovic. Novak Djokovic says it's unfair to discredit his breakthrough Australian Open triumph amid intensifying debate over Roger Federer's health and fitness at the season's opening grand slam... Djokovic refused to believe his breakthrough success on Sunday was anything other than further evidence he was closing the gap on the Swiss master. The 20-year-old felt he simply outplayed the two-time defending champion...."You could see everything on the court. He didn't seem at all like having a fever or something. No, I don't have any comments on that," Djokovic said. "I think I was the better player on the court and absolutely deserved to win. I was mentally stronger (than in New York) and I played with more patience in crucial moments and I think that made the difference." For his part, the classy Federer said Djokovic had been too good on the night but added somewhat mysteriously: "I mean, considering, you know, my illness, I'm sort of happy with the result here." Djokovic said: "But now things have changed. Now I believe more in myself and now I get to the matches with more belief that I can win and that I want to win. There is a slight difference and (Federer) feels it and I feel it much more, and I'm very happy that I managed to beat the best player in the world in straight sets."

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?...

Interviews: Federer & Djokovic

http://www.asapsports.com/show_event.php...

- Press Question to Djokovic: “After three days, nobody knows what (your ‘sickness’) is exactly?”

   Novak Djokovic: “No. Just I thought it's nothing serious. On the matches, I played well and I felt okay afterwards. I asked doctor yesterday. But he said I don't have nothing, which I really don't believe. I think he didn't give me the right diagnosis, obviously. I'll check as soon as possible.”

- Press question to Federer:. “Was it obvious to you he was ill?”

Roger Federer: “No. I didn't see anything anyway from my side till when he called the doctor. It made me remember that he really sort of had at 40-Love at 5-3, I think it was, he just let his head hang a little bit. I thought that was more in disappointment. So maybe it was more also because of the sickness. I don't know. But I didn't feel like he was playing too sick. Obviously after calling the doctor you have a tendency to have him under the microscope, and then you might see some signs. But then, I'm in a moment where I try to block that out and continue the way I did play. I didn't think it was that extreme. Same as Davydenko last week. I mean, I didn't see any big signs till the moment they all of a sudden retired.”

Some context: this is the seventh time young Djokovic has retired in a match in his ATP career, three came while he was losing. Three retirements came against the No. 1 or No. 2 players in the world (today against Federer, 2007 Wimbledon against Nadal and 2006 French Open against Nadal). Djokovic has a history of abusing medical timeouts, playing possum and other gamesmanship. The ATP needs to investigate whether his retirements are legitimate...or are unsporting behaviour.

Total number of retirements by the Serb Ana Ivanovic due to sickness, injury or pedicures: Zero. Andy Murray, who is the same age as Djokovic but has bum knees, has not retired in his career.

Unless a player has a debilitating injury, retiring when a few games from losing shows weak character at best and cowardice at worst. Such a player has no honor or sportsmanship -- they do not want to give their opponent the satisfaction and publicity of beating them.

A sore throat, dizziness, recurring breathing problems or a panic attack should not stop a highly-trained professional athlete from acting like a man and stroking the ball for just three more games in the evening sun. Just moments before dubiously quitting, Djokovic had been running around like a rabbit on heat and hitting powerful winners. Djokovic claimed that he had been sick the last three days -- during the period he had been quickly rolling over Querrey, Murray and Ljubicic.

Djokovic realized that he would not beat a healthy Federer today, even though the Swiss’s first serve was only 52%. At Montreal, Djokovic beat a rusty Federer with his B- game and 57 unforced errors. At the Australian Open, Djokovic beat the mononucleosis-weakened Swiss with a B to C to B game. But today Djokovic faced TMF playing an A- clay game on the other side of the net. Djokovic retired immediately after being broken for the third time. Federer won a convincing 56% of the 104 points, and had 23 winners and only 15 unforced errors in their 1 hour 11 min match. ‘On only the third point (Federer) produced a stupendous shot, ripping a backhand winner past Djokovic after the Serb attacked the net. Djokovic called for the trainer after the first set and threw in the towel after Federer had broken to take a 3-2 lead in the second. The world No 3 said he had been unwell for the last three days but said his previous opponents here, which included Andy Murray on Thursday, "were not that tough and I didn't have long rallies against them like I had today".’

Roger Federer is a rare player who has never retired or given a walkover in his long career, even when sick or injured such as in Australian Open 2008, French Open 2007, Tennis Masters Cup 2005, Australian Open 2005, Miami 2004, etc. (he rarely whines about his ailments, so people assume he is never sick or injured). Even when losing, Federer will play to the end and take his loss like a man. Federer suffered from mononucleosis during the Australian Open, yet he completed his matches against Djokovic and Tipsarevic.

Answer 6

hey...if u would have breathing problems, u kno just kickin' in those symptoms...retireing is unlike him, if a person does not feel well, u have to respects their priorities. And i don't believe he was a coward, because Federer is not intimidating him at all, he kicked his *** in the Australian Open, so i would keep my mouth closed.

Answer 7

The one word to describe Novak, COWARD!

Answer 8

I'm inclined to give a player the benefit of the doubt...but

Elrond...thanks for the stats...very interesting in any case.

Answer 9

Novak definitely didn't retire because he "didn't want federer to get too much credit for the win" or because "he's scared". he was actually sick. he said that the night before he started taking medicine. for what, i'm not exactly sure. but i know one thing, djokovic wouldn't forfeit a match for no reason. something must have been wrong. so all you need to not even think for a minute that this was about federer winning because djokovic has definitely proven that he can beat federer so that's not the case. not everything in the tennis world revolves around Roger Federer, even though he would probably like to think that.

Answer 10

yeah....me too.

djokovic was just afraid of federer. he was a set and a break down and he knew he would lose anyways.

djokovic retired so federer wouldn't get too much credit for the win. people will say "federer won because djokovic retired" and "federer didn't deserve the win" and stuff like that.

i hope this showed the djokovic family that the king is not dead and that djokovic is not better that federer,

Answer 11

Tennis is the Best suck - Do you fancy Nole's looks?

Answer 12

.I think maybe Novak was really having problems breathing and probably was a little sick, but maybe some part has to do with all the trash he and his parents talked before and during the match, he wasn't cashing the checks his mouth had written.

Answer 13

Well the only reason anyone would do that is to save themselves the embarrassment of getting their *** kicked by the greatest player or all time. Oh Djoker did that well nuff said. Consider the source. He has no manners was raised in a mentally and financially poor environment has no respect for other players and thinks he is too good to actually take the loss like a man. Well one day he may grow up. And his fans don't know jack about tennis. They just jump up and down and yell cause they're Serb. Yeah pretty sad eh.

Answer 14

Because of sickness and/or injury. It makes no sense for a player to retire just because they're afraid of losing to their opponent. after all, if a player retires from a match, he/she is considered to have lost that match anyway - and this will be on the record books.

Answer 15

hotchick, nole could have done the same during the US open final also, couldn't he to just make federer's victory look even worse. It wasn't great anyway's since Nole obviously choked when he should have won the first 2 sets.

Answer 16

Djokovic would not retire because "he was afraid of federer"-hotchick how lame is that ? He obviously retired because something was wrong. Federes fans have been smashing  Novak's fans and i dont think they have a right to. Yes, Novak's parents need to shut the h**l up but Novak cant really control that...his parents need to learn from that.