Status: Winner of one ATP singles title (Moscow 2010). Member of Serbia’s Davis Cup-winning team. Won the deciding fifth match vs. France’s Llodra in straight sets.
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 189
DOB: February 10, 1986 In: Belgrade, Serbia
Tennis Inspirations: “My idol was Andre Agassi. That’s how I started playing tennis, when I watched him. He was my childhood hero. I had to have everything he had, like all the Nike stuff, Head racquet. I really loved how he played. He was my idol.”
First Tennis Memory: “When I was just hitting the ball into the wall of my house. Just holding the racquet and hitting the ball somehow.”
Hobbies/Interests: “I like to hang out with my friends when I’m at home. Watch football. That’s my second sport.”
Nickname: “Vik. Some other ones but there’s a lot of them. If I decided to count ‘wm now it would take too long [smiles].”
Favorite Movie: “Maybe Blow.”
Last Book Read: “I don’t remember. I don’t read so much, I gotta admit.”
Musical Tastes: ‘I like mostly house music.”
First Job: “My uncle employed me when I was five or six to pick up all the paper around his market store.”
Current Car: “Audi A4.”
Pre-Match Feeling: “Well, I always go into the match trying to win the match. And no matter who I play, and always give my best on the court. That’s how I do it. That’s how I prepare and that’s my strategy.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Well, one of the greatest moments was winning my first title in Moscow. And when we won the Team Cup in Dusseldorf. Serbia. And I was the #1 player from my country. Winning in Germany against Germany. It was quite a big moment.”
Most Painful Moment: “Maybe some loss. There was a few losses that I didn’t handle so well. When I had the match points in Moscow. I had a match point – a few match points actually – and it was to go into the semifinal. I was quite disappointed when I lost (to Zverev).”
Favorite Tournament: “I like Umag in Croatia. And the tournament in Belgrade. It’s like right next to where I live, like two minutes away. This is great. This has become like my favorite tournament.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Guys from Serbia. Novak, Janko, Zimonjic. We’re all close together. We’re all friends and hang out at the tournaments.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Novak is always funny. All the Serbian guys, Janko, Dusan Vemic are making some jokes. They’re all pretty funny.”
Toughest Competitors: “Cannot remember now. There’s a lot of them. All the guys playing on the Tour are really good. And everyone is trying to win so I cannot pick one.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Good-hearted. Generous.”
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Richard Pagliaro · December 6, 2010 at 12:15 am
Great Biofile and tremendously confident, assertive, and focused effort from Troicki today under immense pressure.
Playing the decisive fifth math in davis cup can reshape careers. Was at the Troicki-Djokovic US Open match and Troicki had Djokovic in deep trouble, could have won that match, but it slipped. Then Troicki had the match points vs. Nadal in Tokyo and let it slip.
Today, this guy was rock solid and so poised. Was a little concerned because he briefly lost his cool in the second-set tiebreak in doubles yesterday, cursing Enrique Molina a few times and could have gotten hit for that. He came out and was reading that Llodra wide serve to the bh on the ad side so well. He was blistering the bh, served well and forcing Llodra to hit a lot of volleys from on or a step inside the service line.
Very gutsy call from the captain going with Troicki, though you can argue for the first 2 sets of yesterday’s doubles Troicki was the best player on the court.
Definitely the heart goes out to Llodra, who had a sensational Davis cup season, led France in that semifinal win and obviously wanted this one badly. But he was outplayed and overwhelmed, primarily by Troicki, but also by the occasion and wonder if he was feeling a little lethargic after that intense doubles five-setter.
Davis Cup is so exciting. Even today, neither of the two matches were close, but so emotional, so dramatic and ultimately well-deserved from Serbia.
Djokovic just absolutely put the hammer down on Monfils. I realize Djokovic has always had Monfils’ number (6-0 lifetime), but pressure obviously more on Djokovic because if he loses, they’re done, but give credit to the Djoker – unlike a lot of top 10 players who either bail out Davis Cup outright or only play at home, this guy always plays – home or away – always brings passion and usually wins (undefeated in Davis Cup singles this year.)
What I like about Djoker is because he’s such a good athlete, long reach and good speed, he can defend effectively but when he had to step up and take charge against another guy who can run and defend well – Monfils – he did exactly that.
Monfils remains one of the most exciting and maddening players to watch. For a guy with that level of athleticism, agility, speed and leaping ability, just astounding this guy has never learned to play a more disciplined offensive game.
A few games into the match he’s drying that dopey leaping forehand where he almost whiffed completely at the ball. For all his gifts, he often looks like he has no clue how to assert himself offensively when he has to. He lacks a go-to play or pattern and looked scared out there at times today.
obviously give his career lack of success vs. Djokovic he had to know how tough it was going to be, but still all the more reason to play smarter and tougher.
Will be interesting to see how this monumental win propels Troicki and Djokovic in 2011.
tom michael · December 6, 2010 at 1:05 am
Happy for Djokovic, Troicki, Zimonjic, and Tipsarevic, and their nation of Serbia. Serbia once known for its sick ethnic cleansing cival wars, now have redeemed themselves before the world through success in sport. And tennis is the winner at the end. Alleluha!
I believe that Forget made a big mistake in replacing 25 year old Simon with 30 year Michael Llodra, who theoretically should have struggled to recover from the doubles victory of the day before; of course, he did. Simon who is 5-0 matches won and lost, which includes 10-0 sets won and lost as well, combined lifetime against Tipsarevic and Troicki, would have been the better pick today. Llodra had no chance against Troicki, on this slow indoor court.
Troicki redeemed himself after the doubles loss. He would have been difficult to beat for anyone, even Simon.
Jim Tennis · December 6, 2010 at 2:55 am
We murdered thousands of civilians. But we just won the Davis Cup. Redeemed.
Or do you just like the word “redeem” ? You used it twice.
Marko · December 6, 2010 at 6:52 am
@Jim
Why do you mix a politics with a tennis? Are you jealous? Great success for this little country.
IVAN MILADINOVIC · December 6, 2010 at 10:42 am
Stupid comments from a ignorant people, Americans and Brits, killed more civilians in their history than Serbs….so ….in Irak, or Vietnam J think…..so live Serbia alone, anyway you made that war happened….
Dan Markowitz · December 6, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I, too, don’t like to mix politics with sport. And I agree, U.S. has killed more people in Iraq and Afghanistan and lots of other places than the Serbs killed. But how did the U.S. start the civil war in the former Yugoslavia?
Anyway, didn’t watch the last day of Davis Cup. Great win for the Serbs. They have one excellent player and two good ones, along with one of the best doubles players in the world. I don’t know with Roddick declining, if the U.S. can do what the Serbs did. And with the exception of Zimo, all of these players for the Serbs are relatively young.
tom michael · December 6, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I better make peace here before ugly exchanges go back and forth. I wrote about Serbia’s past and put it in context with tennis because sport is one of few positive outlets that bring people together. Sports provide arenas for fellowship, friendship, respect, warmth, as well as forgiveness and reconciliation,. The Davis Cup atmosphere in Belgrade was a fairly contested one this week. Djokovic has said that he wants to be a positive role model. He and his teammates succeeded in creating a positive image for Serbia.
Dan Markowitz · December 6, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Well, Tom, I think your line about Serbia “redeeming” itself for its role in the war in the former Yugoslavia by winning the Davis Cup was either foolish or whimsical. Either way, it wasn’t apt. Sports and politics, unless they collide the way they did in 1936 Nazi Germany, where Hitler and Germany hosted the Olympic Games, should not be linked together. If a contest is underway, view it in the metier of that athletic event. I don’t look at Djokovic as the savior of Serbia or his feats on the tennis court erasing Milosevic’s horrors. If anything, they illustrate that in human life, there is both the prospect of great evil and despair and great beauty and joy.
SerbianTelevision · December 7, 2010 at 12:33 am
Great!!!
Bravo Viktor!!!
love from SrbTV.com
http://www.srpskatelevizija.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=554&Itemid=
tom michael · December 7, 2010 at 12:13 pm
“redeeming†itself for its role in the war in the former Yugoslavia
Dan, I did not write this or implied such a thing. I wrote that winning Davis Cup redeemed the way the world may see Serbia, i.e. Serbia’s image.
Serbia admitting their wrongs a while back is a great step first in redeeming itself for the civil wars. Whatever it does from their apology, I can only be hopeful for.