Djokovic refuses to look ahead at Paris
No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic has more immediate concerns than a possible French Open semifinal against No. 2 Rafael Nadal or final against No. 1 Roger Federer. It's first things first at Roland Garros Stadium for Djokovic: a quarterfinal against Ernests Gulbis, set up by 3-set victories for both men Sunday. Never heard of Gulbis? Djokovic has. Knows the 19-year-old kid from Latvia quite well, in fact.
They go way back, having shared adventures on and off the court a few years ago at coach Niki Pilic's tennis academy in Munich, Germany.
"He was destroying me in practices. I couldn't win a match. Practice? No chance," Djokovic said, then added with a wink and a smile: "So all the pressure's on him, OK? He's the favorite."
Djokovic -- who beat No. 18 Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 Sunday -- reached the U.S. Open final in September, then knocked off Federer en route to winning the Australian Open in January.
"I'm a Grand Slam champion, and I get a lot of respect and appreciation from the players," said Djokovic, who is 3-7 against Nadal, including exits from the past two French Opens. "It's a different approach. I have more confidence and I believe much more in myself."