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Djokovic sets new goals
25/03/2008 10:49 - (SA)
Miami - A sizzling start to the 2008 season has Novak Djokovic re-evaluating his goals heading into his title defence at the Sony Ericsson ATP Masters Series that starts this week.
The 20-year-old Serb seized his first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open in January, and on Sunday he captured the first of the year's prestigious Masters Series titles at Indian Wells, California.
"It has been a dream start, of course," Djokovic said after a 6-2 5-7 6-3 victory over American Mardy Fish in the Pacific Life Open final.
"Before I started playing this season, I said that my two goals are to be consistent with the results, reach the Masters Cup and hopefully win one Grand Slam.
"I did all that in a very, very small amount of time."
However, Djokovic doesn't plan to rest on his laurels.
"I don't want to stop here," he said. "I'll try to keep going in Miami, and I'm defending champion there. Coming up from Indian Wells as the tournament winner, it's much easier."
World number three Djokovic has narrowed the gap on second-ranked Spaniard Rafael Nadal to 425 points.
Both Nadal and world number one Roger Federer arrive in Miami in search of a first 2008 title.
For Federer, it is the first time since 2000 that he has gone so far into a season without hoisting a trophy. The Swiss, who has reigned at number one since 2004, was slowed early this year by a debilitating bout with mononucleosis.
At Indian Wells he looked more his old self - until he was shocked in the semi-finals by unseeded Fish. Fish's spectacular run at Indian Wells - where he beat three top-10 players - propelled him from 98th in the world back into the top-50, a welcome advance for the oft-injured player once ranked as high as 17th in the world.
Other players expected to make a run at Djokovic's Miami title are Americans Andy Roddick - the 2004 champion - and James Blake, Russian Nikolay Davydenko and France's Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
- AFP
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