This time a year back Novak Djokovic was thriving in finishing the Grand Slam and turning into the primary man since Rod Laver to hold every one of the four majors at the same time.
In those days, the as of late blessed French Open champion was believed to be brilliant.
Twelve months on, a baffling keep running of results has seen Djokovic’s emanation of strength exhaustively wrecked, and this week he ends up in Eastbourne, the languid British shoreline town that has the Aegon International – an ATP 250 occasion that is on the most minimal rung of the fundamental Tour.
It was Djokovic’s first historically speaking match at Eastbourne and the first occasion when he has played a Wimbledon warm-up occasion since 2010, underlining his battles this year and urgent requirement for coordinate practice.
“It is liberating a bit,” he admitted. “It releases a bit of the pressure. I mean, you still feel it. It’s part of who I am, what I do. And what I have achieved so far has added to those expectations from the people around.
“But I try to lower those expectations myself, because I really want to be in the moment and focus only on what comes up next, which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win the trophies and so forth. Of course I do. That’s why I’m playing professional tennis. But it’s just that I need to take things a bit slower and try and recalibrate so I can get to the level where I want to get.
“At Wimbledon, I don’t see myself as one of the top few favourites.”
The match had a show feel to it now and again, and Djokovic took a gander calm than he has done at basically any point since a year ago’s French Open, getting 71 for each penny of his initially serves in and flummoxing his serve-volleying rival with laser-like returns and sliding passing shots.
