The Serbian teammates of Novak Djokovic accidental adjacent they person nary thought wherefore the satellite No.1 is not competing successful the ATP Cup, which starts Saturday.
Organisers dropped a bombshell connected Wednesday erstwhile they confirmed Djokovic volition not vie successful the event, contempt having been included successful the archetypal list.
Today, his teammates and countrymen faced the media and were, of course, peppered with questions astir the absent champion.
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Dusan Lajovic denied immoderate cognition of Djokovic's determination earlier it was announced publicly.
"I don't cognize the authoritative crushed but possibly the ATP knows," Lajovic said.
"He conscionable said that he's not coming to the ATP Cup and he's trying to get to the Australian Open.
"He said, 'I'm not coming guys to the ATP Cup, we'll spot astir the Australian Open'. I mean, helium didn't specify if he's coming oregon not but that he's waiting for a decision."
All eyes are connected Djokovic and whether helium volition contend the Australian Open, opening January 17, oregon not.
He has truthful acold refused to divulge his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Athletes are required to beryllium vaccinated earlier flying into Victoria, unless they tin get a aesculapian exemption.
Lajovic says the announcement this week caught him disconnected guard.
"We knew, I think, a day-and-a-half agone oregon thing similar that," Lajovic said.
"I deliberation we're each waiting for that last-minute determination and it's ne'er the aforesaid erstwhile you person the No.1 successful your squad and you don't person it – it's a large difference.
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"Obviously, erstwhile Novak is successful the team, the expectations get overmuch higher and everybody's putting a spotlight connected Novak, of course, and trying to propulsion the full team.
"Right now, possibly we're connected the sideline a small spot and it could beryllium bully for us, it could beryllium atrocious – we'll see.
"But it's decidedly antithetic and we'll get to spot what happens aft the tourney and however it goes.
"He was, I think, hoping the aforesaid arsenic we did, that someway helium volition beryllium here, but unluckily he's not and we've got to woody with it."
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