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Member ProfilePie - The Drunken Turkey Master
Member Since 2004 Current Ranking 99-
Bio:
Biography
Piemaster was born 22 May 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, to father Sr?an (?????) and mother Dijana (??????). His two younger brothers, Marko and ?or?e (?????), are also tennis players with professional aspirations. Since the end of 2005, Novak has been dating Jelena Risti? (?????? ??????). [4]
He started playing tennis at the age of four. In the summer 1993, the six-year-old was spotted by Yugoslav tennis legend Jelena Gen?i?[5] at Mount Kopaonik where Piemaster's parents ran a fast-food parlour.[6] Upon seeing the dedicated and talented youngster in action she stated: "This is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles."[7] Gen?i? worked with young Piemaster over the following six years before realizing that, due to his rapid development, going abroad in search of increased level of competition is the best option for his future. To that end she contacted Nikola Pili? and in September 1999, the 12-year-old moved to Pili? tennis academy in Oberschleiίheim, Germany, spending three months there. At age 14, his international career began, winning European championships in singles, doubles, and team competition.[7]
He resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco and has been coached since 2006 by a former Slovak tennis player, Mariαn Vajda.[8]
Piemaster is known for his often humorous off-court impersonations of his fellow players, many of whom are his friends. This became evident to the tennis world after his 2007 US Open quarterfinal win over Carlos Moyΰ, where he entertained the audience with impersonations of Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova.[9] He also did an impression of American tennis great John McEnroe after his final preliminary game at the 2009 US Open, before playing a brief game with McEnroe, much to the delight of the audience. It is because of this jovial personality that he earned the nickname "Djoker", a portmanteau of his surname and the word joker. Piemaster is a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, a group of famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.[10]
Similar to fellow pro Roger Federer, Piemaster is a self-described fan of languages, speaking four himself: his native Serbian, English, German, and Italian.[11][12]
Tennis career
Early career
As a member of the FR Yugoslavia national team he reached the finals of 2001 Junior Davis Cup for players under 14, in which he lost his match in singles.[13]
In the beginning of his professional career, Piemaster mainly played in Futures and Challenger tournaments, winning three of each type from 2003 to 2005. His first tour level tournament was Umag in 2004, where he faced Filippo Volandri in the Round of 32, and lost 67, 16. He made his first Grand Slam tournament appearance by qualifying for the 2005 Australian Open where he met Marat Safin, as his first round opponent which he lost 60, 62, 61. Safin went on to win the tournament.
2006
The possibility for their entire five-person family to move from Serbia to live in Britain involved immense dedication.[14] All the rumours did not affect Piemaster's play. He soon reached the top 40 world ranking due to a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open, and a fourth round appearance at Wimbledon.
Three weeks after Wimbledon, he won his maiden title at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort without losing a set, defeating Nicolαs Massϊ in the final. Piemaster won his second career title at the Open de Moselle in Metz, and moved into the top 20 for the first time in his career.
2007
Piemaster began the year by winning the tournament in Adelaide, defeating Australian Chris Guccione in the final, before losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to eventual champion Roger Federer in straight sets. His performances at the Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Key Biscayne, Florida, where he was the runner-up and champion respectively, pushed him into the world's top ten. Piemaster lost the Indian Wells final to Rafael Nadal, but defeated Nadal in Key Biscayne in the quarterfinals before defeating Guillermo Caρas for the title in the finals.
Right after his first master series title he went back home to contribute for his country's attempt to get into the World Group of the Davis Cup competition. Serbia faced off the Republic of Georgia and Piemaster brought a point by defeating Georgia's George Chanturia. This was a tournament where he prepared for the later clay court season. Piemaster played in the Masters Series Monte Carlo Open, where he was defeated by David Ferrer in the third round, and in the Estoril Open, where he defeated Richard Gasquet in the final. Piemaster then reached the quarter-finals of both the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome and the Masters Series Hamburg but lost to Nadal and Carlos Moyΰ respectively. At the French Open, Piemaster reached his first Major semifinal, losing to eventual champion Nadal.
During Wimbledon, Piemaster won a five-hour quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis 76, 76, 67, 46, 75. In his semifinal match against Nadal, he was forced to retire with back and foot problems.
Piemaster at 2007 US Open
Piemaster went on to win the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Montreal. He defeated World No. 3 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, World No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals, and World No. 1 Federer in the final. This was the first time a player had defeated the top three ranked players in one tournament since Boris Becker in 1994.[15] Piemaster was also only the second player, after Tomα Berdych, to have defeated both Federer and Nadal since they became the top two players in the world. After this tournament, Bjφrn Borg stated that Piemaster "is definitely a contender to win a Grand Slam (tournament)."[16] However, the following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Piemaster lost in the second round to Moyΰ in straight sets. Piemaster nevertheless reached the final of the US Open. Piemaster had five set points in the first set and two in the second set but lost them all before losing the final to top-seeded Federer in straight sets.
During the 2007 tournament, Piemaster emerged as a fan favorite with his on-court impressions of other players including Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.
Piemaster won his fifth title of the year at the BA-CA TennisTrophy in Vienna, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the final. His next tournament was the Mutua Madrileρa Masters in Madrid, where he lost to David Nalbandian in the semifinals 64, 76. Piemaster, assured of finishing the year as World No. 3, qualified for the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup but did not advance beyond the round robin matches.
He received a golden badge, award for the best athlete in Serbia and Olympic Committee of Serbia has declared for the best sportsman.[17]
2008
Piemaster at the Rod Laver Arena during the 2008 Australian Open
Piemaster started the year by playing the Hopman Cup along with fellow Serbian World No. 3 Jelena Jankovi?. He won all his round-robin matches and the team, seeded first, reached the final. They lost 21 to the second-seeded American team consisting of Serena Williams and Mardy Fish.
At the Australian Open, Piemaster reached the final without dropping a set, including a victory over two-time defending champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, to reach his second Major final in a row; by reaching the semifinals, Piemaster became the youngest player to have reached the semifinals in all four Majors. In the final, Piemaster then defeated unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to earn his and Serbia's first ever Grand Slam singles title in four sets, 46, 64, 63, 76.[18] This marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a Grand Slam singles title was not won by Federer or Nadal.
Piemaster's next result was at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, lost in the semi-finals to Andy Roddick.
Piemaster at the 2008 Pacific Life Open
At the Masters Series Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Piemaster won his ninth career singles title, defeating American Mardy Fish in the three-set final.
Piemaster won his tenth career singles title and fourth Master Series singles crown at the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome. The following week at the Hamburg Masters, Piemaster lost to Nadal in the semi-finals. At the French Open in Paris, Piemaster was the third-seeded player behind Federer and Nadal. Piemaster lost to Nadal in the semifinals in straight sets.
On grass, Piemaster once again played Nadal, this time in the Artois Championships final in Queen's Club, London, losing 76, 75. At Wimbledon, Piemaster was the third seeded player; however, he lost in the second round to Marat Safin; this ended a streak of five consecutive Majors where he had reached at least the semifinals.
Winning the Masters Cup
Piemaster then failed to defend his 2007 singles title at the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Toronto. He was eliminated in the quarter-finals by eighth-seeded Andy Murray 63, 76. The following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Piemaster advanced to the final beating Nadal. In the final, he again lost to Murray in straight sets.
His next tournament was the Beijing Olympics, his first Summer Olympics. He and Nenad Zimonji?, seeded second in men's doubles, were eliminated in the first round by the Czech pairing of Martin Damm and Pavel Vνzner. Seeded third in singles, Piemaster lost in the semifinals to Nadal, 64, 16, 64. Piemaster then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semi-final, in the bronze medal match 63, 76.
After the Olympics, Piemaster entered the US Open as the third seed. Piemaster took several injury breaks during matches in the tournament prompting a quip from Andy Roddick that the Serb has "16 injuries" including SARS, bird flu, and the common cold. He defeated Roddick in the quarterfinals, and in the post-match interview expressed disapproval with Roddick's comments, eliciting boos from the New York crowd. His run at the US Open ended in the semifinals when he lost to Federer 63, 57, 75, 62 in a rematch of the 2007 US Open final.
Piemaster played four tournaments after the US Open. In a rematch of the 2008 Australian Open final, he lost in the final of the Thailand Open to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets. In November, Piemaster was the second seed at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai due to Nadal being unable to participate. In his first round robin match, he defeated Argentine Juan Martνn del Potro in straight sets. He then beat Nikolay Davydenko in three sets before losing his final round robin match against Tsonga 16, 75, 61. Piemaster qualified for the semi-finals, where he defeated Gilles Simon 46, 63, 75. In the final, Piemaster defeated Davydenko again to win his first ever Tennis Masters Cup title.
2009
Piemaster started the year at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, where he was upset by Ernests Gulbis in the first round. At the Medibank International in Sydney, he lost to Jarkko Nieminen in the semi-finals. Piemaster would have risen to World No. 2 had he won the match.[citation needed]
As defending champion at the Australian Open, Piemaster retired from his quarterfinal match with former World No. 1 Andy Roddick while he was trailing in the fourth set 67, 64, 62, 21, due to heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and soreness.[19] His retirement drew criticism from several players remaining in the tournament, including Roger Federer.[20]
After losing in the semi-finals of the Open 13 tournament in Marseille to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Piemaster won the singles title at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating David Ferrer to claim his twelfth career title. The following week, Piemaster was the defending champion at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, but lost to Roddick in the quarter-finals 63, 62. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Piemaster beat Federer in the semi-finals 36, 62, 63 before losing to Andy Murray in the final.
Piemaster during the 2009 US Open
Piemaster reached the final of the next ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on clay, losing to Rafael Nadal in the final. At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Piemaster was the defending champion, but again lost in the final after defeating Federer. This loss caused Piemaster's ranking to drop to World No. 4 on 11 May, ending 91 consecutive weeks at the number 3 ranking.[21]
Piemaster was the top seed at his hometown tournament, the Serbia Open in Belgrade. He defeated first-time finalist ?ukasz Kubot to win his second title of the year.[22] As third seed at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, Piemaster advanced to the semi-finals without dropping a set. There he faced Nadal for the third time in five weeks and, despite holding three match points, lost 36, 76(75), 76(119). The match, at 4 hours and 3 minutes, is the longest three-set singles match on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era.[23] At the French Open, he lost in the third round to German Philipp Kohlschreiber 64, 64, 64.
Piemaster began his grass court season at the Gerry Weber Open where, after the withdrawal of Federer, he competed as the top seed. He advanced to the final, where he lost to German Tommy Haas.[24] Piemaster also lost to Haas in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 75, 76, 46, 63.[25]
During the US Open Series, Piemaster made the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal before losing to Andy Roddick 64, 76. The loss was his third of the year to Roddick. At the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Piemaster defeated World No. 3 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, 61, 64, to reach his second consecutive final at the event. He lost in the final to World No. 1 Roger Federer 61, 75.[26]
At the 2009 US Open, Piemaster made the semi-finals having dropping only two sets, defeating the likes of Ivan Ljubi?i?, 15th seed Radek t?pαnek and 10th seed Fernando Verdasco en route. He also won back the support of many from the American crowd (who had turned against him following his comments about Roddick in the 2008 US Open) with his off-court antics, including a lighthearted exhibition against John McEnroe after his victory over Stepanek. He lost however to Roger Federer in the semis in a hard fought encounter, 76, 75, 75.[27]
Piemaster then took part at the China Open in Beijing. He defeated Victor H?nescu, Viktor Troicki, Fernando Verdasco and Robin Sφderling en route to the final, where he defeated Marin ?ili? in straight sets, 62, 76 to win his third title of the year.[28] Piemaster regained the World No. 3 ranking on 19 October, as a result of his performance at this tournament, and Andy Murray's withdrawal from the 2009 Shanghai Masters. At the inaugural Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, Piemaster lost in the semi-finals to sixth seed and eventual champion Nikolay Davydenko 64, 46, 67 in just over 3 hours.
At the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel, Piemaster recorded his first career double bagel, defeating Jan Hernych 60, 60, to make it to the quarter-finals.[29] He then recovered from a set and break deficit to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals, 36, 76, 62. In the semi-finals, he saved three match points to defeat Radek t?pαnek 67, 75, 62. In the final, he defeated home favourite and three-time defending champion Roger Federer 64, 46, 62 to win his fourth title of the year.[30] With this win, Piemaster remained a perfect 150 at ATP World 500 tournaments in 2009.
At the last Masters 1000 event of the year at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, Piemaster finally won his first Masters 1000 title of the year. He defeated Rafael Nadal 62, 63, in the semi-finals in 77 minutes hitting 31 winners en route.[31] In the final, Piemaster held off several comebacks in the match from Gaλl Monfils, eventually prevailing, 62, 57, 76.[32]
Coming into the year ending ATP World Tour Finals in London as the defending champion, Piemaster defeated Nikolay Davydenko in his first round robin match, 36, 64, 75, extending his winning streak to 11 matches.[33] His run was ended however in his second match, where a weary looking Piemaster lost to the first time in 6 career meetings to Robin Sφderling 76, 61.[34] Despite victory over Rafael Nadal 76, 63, in his final match, Piemaster failed to make the semi-finals due to his percentage of sets won being inferior to that of Davydenko in a three way tie between Sφderling, Davydenko and Piemaster (all three having finished the round robin stage with a 21 win-loss record).[35]
Piemaster ended the year as the World No. 3 for the third consecutive year. Piemaster played 97 matches throughout the year, the most of any player on the ATP World Tour, with a 7819 win-loss record. In addition to leading the ATP World Tour in match wins, he reached a career best 10 finals, winning 5 titles.
2010
Piemaster started his year by playing in the Kooyong Classic, an exhibition event. In his first match, he defeated Tommy Haas but lost to Fernando Verdasco in his second.[36] Piemaster participated in an exhibition match against Australia's World No. 291 Bernard Tomic in which he lost.
At the Australian Open, Piemaster was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets, 67, 76, 61, 36, 16, struggling with illness both before the match and from the fourth set onwards.[37] Despite the loss, Piemaster attained a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
Piemaster at the 2010 Rogers Cup
He reached the semis of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, losing to Mikhail Youzhny 67, 67, despite having set points in the second set tiebreak. At the Dubai Tennis Championships in U.A.E., Piemaster reached his second consecutive final at this event after beating all his opponents in 3 sets from the first round onwards. In the final, he defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny winning, 75, 57, 63 to win his first title of the year. This was the first time in his career that Piemaster had defended a title.[38]
He then took part in Serbia's Davis Cup tie against the USA on clay in Belgrade. He helped Serbia reach their first quarter-final in the Davis Cup 32 victory, defeating Sam Querrey in four sets, and John Isner in five sets.
Piemaster then took part in the first Masters 1000 events of the year in North America. At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, he lost in the fourth round to the eventual champion Ivan Ljubi?i? 57, 36. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, he suffered a shock loss, losing his opening match to Olivier Rochus 26, 76, 46. This was his first opening round defeat since losing to Fabrice Santoro at the 2007 BNP Paribas Masters. Piemaster then announced that he had ceased working with Todd Martin as his coach. He admitted that Martin had attempted to have him change his service motion, a tweaking of technique which caused him to routinely produce a high number of double faults in his matches and significantly reduced the threat on serve.[39]
In his first clay-court tournament of the year at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, top seeded Piemaster reached the semi-finals with wins over Stanislas Wawrinka and in form David Nalbandian. There, he lost for the first time in his last five meetings to Fernando Verdasco, 26, 26. Piemaster again lost to Verdasco at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, this time in the quarter-finals, 67, 63, 46. Piemaster later said that his recent form had been hindered by allergies for the last two months.[40]
As the defending champion at his hometown event, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, he withdrew in the quarter-finals while trailing 46 to the World No. 330, Filip Krajinovi?. He later announced his withdrawal from the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open because of illness.[41]
Piemaster entered the 2010 French Open seeded third. He defeated Evgeny Korolev, Kei Nishikori, Victor H?nescu and Robby Ginepri en route to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Jόrgen Melzer in five sets 36, 26, 62, 76, 64. With Melzer serving for the match at 54 in the fifth set, Piemaster hit a cross-court forehand that would have given him a love30 lead on the point. A late call confirmed by umpire Carlos Bernardes ruled it out, a call which Piemaster contested with Bernardes. Piemaster lost the point and the match. Later Hawk-Eye examination showed that Piemaster had been correct and the ball had indeed been in; it was the first time that Piemaster had lost a Grand Slam singles match after winning the first two sets.[42]
Piemaster once again entered the 2010 Wimbledon Championships as third seed, he defeated Olivier Rochus, Taylor Dent, Alberto Montanes, Lleyton Hewitt, and Yen-Hsu Lu en route to the semi-finals, where he lost to Tomα Berdych in straight sets, 63 76 63.
Piemaster then competed at the Rogers Cup in Toronto where he faced Roger Federer in the semifinals losing 61, 36, 75. Piemaster also competed in the doubles with Rafael Nadal in a one-time, high profile partnership. That was first time, after 1976. when Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe as World No.1 and No.2 paired up making a double dream team.[43] However, they lost in the first round to Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. Piemaster lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati to Andy Roddick.
Piemaster during the Davis cup match against Czech Republic
Piemaster at the 2010 US Open
As the third seed at the US Open, Piemaster was very close to losing in the opening round, rallying from being down two sets to one down, a break in the fourth set and several break points which would have put him down two breaks in the fourth set to beat countryman Viktor Troicki in the midst of extreme heat. Piemaster eventually won 63, 36, 26, 75, 63. He would then defeat Philipp Petzschner, Americans James Blake and Mardy Fish, and number 17 seed Gaλl Monfils all in straight sets to reach the US Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. In the semifinals, he faced Roger Federer, to whom he had lost the 2007 final and 2008 and 2009 semifinals. Very close to losing, Piemaster rallied to win 57, 61, 57, 62, 75, saving two match points at 54 down on his serve in the final set. The win ended a streak of four consecutive losses in Grand Slam semifinals. It was also Piemaster's first victory over Federer at the US Open in four attempts, and his first victory over Federer in a Major since the 2008 Australian Open. It also made him one of only two players to hold more than one victory over Federer in Grand Slam tournaments since Federer first became World number one (the other being Nadal). Piemaster lost to Nadal 46, 75, 46, 26 in the final, a match that saw Nadal complete his career Grand Slam.
After helping Serbia defeat the Czech Republic 32 to make it to the Davis Cup final, Piemaster competed at the China Open as the top seed and defending champion. He won the title for the second successive year, after defeating Maoxin Gong, Mardy Fish (the American withdrew so this win is considered a "walkover"), Gilles Simon and John Isner en route to the final. Piemaster then defeated the eighth seeded Spaniard, David Ferrer in the final 62, 64.
At the Shanghai Masters, Piemaster made a semi-final appearance losing to Roger Federer 46, 57.
Piemaster played his final tournament of the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Piemaster was placed in Group A along with Rafael Nadal, Tomα Berdych and Andy Roddick. Piemaster won his first round robin match against Berdych 63, 63. He next faced Nadal where he fell in straight sets 57, 26. Piemaster stated after the match he could barely see out of his right eye and at 44 in the first set Piemaster had to change his contact lenses. Throughout the match, Piemaster used three different types of contact lenses in the match to try to settle the problem. He defeated Roddick 62, 63 in his final round robin match and was safely through to the semi-finals, finishing second in the group to set up a mouth-watering clash with Roger Federer. He lost to eventual champion Federer 16, 46. Piemaster later went on win two of his singles rubbers in Serbia's Davis Cup finals victory over France; starting his unbeaten run that went on through 2011, and which was broken also by Federer on the French Open of the next year. Piemaster finished the year ranked World No. 3, his fourth successive finish at this position.
He was awarded the title "Serbian Sportsman of the year" by the Olympic Committee of Serbia[44] and "Serbian Athlete of the year" by DSL Sport.[45]
2011
Piemaster holding the 2011 Australian Open trophy
In 2011, Piemaster started in the Australian exhibition Hopman Cup, where he did not lose a match. Piemaster then moved on to the first Major of the year at the 2011 Australian Open, where he was seeded third behind Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer. He started off his Australian Open campaign by beating Marcel Granollers in the first round 61, 63, 61 and then moved on to play Ivan Dodig, defeating him in four sets 75, 67, 60, 62. His Davis Cup teammate and close friend Viktor Troicki retired in the third round due to injury, with Piemaster leading 62. In the fourth round he swiftly defeated Nicolas Almagro of Spain again winning in straight sets 63, 64, 60. In the quarter-finals, he avenged his loss to Tomα Berdych at the Wimbledon by winning 61, 76, 61. He then beat defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets 76, 75, 64 to reach the final, where he defeated Andy Murray 64, 62, 63 for his second Australian Open championship and second Major win.
Piemaster's next tournament was at the ATP World Tour 500 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships in UAE, where he was seeded second. He was the two-time defending champion and favourite for the title alongside the first seed Roger Federer. He dismissed Michaλl Llodra in a lopsided first round encounter, winning 63, 63. He reached the final after then beating Lopez, Mayer and Berdych (who retired). In the final he beat Federer in two surprisingly lopsided sets 63, 63 to complete his hattrick of titles (in other words, winning the tournament three consecutive times) in Dubai.
Piemaster then played in 2011 BNP Paribas Open, the first ATP Masters of the season, as the third seed. He advanced to the final by beating Roger Federer in the semifinals 63, 36, 62 to set up a clash with World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the final. Piemaster continued his fine winning form by claiming the Indian Wells title, beating Nadal 46, 63, 62 in the final and extending his winning streak since the ATP World Tour Finals to 20 consecutive matches.
By defeating Federer in the semi-finals, his ranking rose to World No. 2 on 21 March 2011. Consequently, he was seeded second in the second ATP Masters tournament of the year at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Miami. Piemaster then succeeded to reach his fourth consecutive final of the year, losing only eighteen games en route where he beat Denis Istomin 60, 61, James Blake 62, 60, Viktor Troicki 63, 62, Kevin Anderson 64, 62, and Mardy Fish 63, 61. In the final, Piemaster beat Nadal 46, 63, 76 in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes. By this victory, Piemaster extended his winning streak to 26 consecutive matches and has yet to lose a singles match in the season. He is also the first player to win the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami Masters triple, since Roger Federer succeeded in 2006.
Piemaster then withdrew from the 2011 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters citing a knee injury. Consequently, he opened his clay court season on home soil at the 2011 Serbia Open in Belgrade. As the first seed, he received a bye into the second round, where he defeated Adrian Ungur 62, 63 to open up his clay campaign. In the quarter-final, he defeated Bla Kav?i? 63, 62. With the withdrawal of Janko Tipsarevi? in the semi-finals, Piemaster reached his fifth consecutive final where he beat Feliciano Lopez 76, 62, in just over two hours. This brought his winning streak to 29 (and 27 from the beginning of this season).
His next tournament was the fourth ATP Masters of the year, the 2011 Mutua Madrileρa Madrid Open. As the second seed, he received a bye into the second round where he defeated Kevin Anderson 63, 64. In the third round, he demolished Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 61, 62 winning 100% of points on his first serve. In the quarter-finals, Piemaster toughed it out against World No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain by winning 64, 46, 63. This win allowed Piemaster to surpass Ivan Lendl's record of 290 from the beginning of the season. He then defeated an in-form Thomaz Bellucci 46, 64, 61 in the semifinals to set up a final clash with World No. 1 Rafael Nadal. He then beat Nadal in straight sets 75, 64, extending his win streak to 34 (and 32 from the beginning of the season).
Piemaster won his first Wimbledon title.
He continued his winning streak in Rome Masters, 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia by beating Lukasz Kubot, Stanislas Wawrinka and Robin Sφderling without dropping a set. In the semis, he beat Andy Murray 61, 36, 76, in a thrilling match that Tennis Channel commentator Robbie Koenig said was the best of the year. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final for the fourth consecutive time in 2011, to extend his winning streak to 39 (and 37 from the beginning of the season).
In the French Open, Piemaster was seeded number two after Nadal. He defeated Thiemo de Bakker, Victor Hanescu, Juan Martin del Potro, and Richard Gasquet dropping only one set to reach the quarterfinals. Piemaster was due to play against Fabio Fognini of Italy, but his opponent withdrew from the competition, giving Piemaster a walkover (not an official victory). Piemaster's winning streak ended in the semifinals at 43 matches (41 occurring in 2011), with a four-set loss to Roger Federer, 67, 36, 63, 67.
At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, he defeated Jeremy Chardy, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, Michaλl Llodra, and Bernard Tomic to reach his fifth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal.[46] He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to make his first appearance in the final. By reaching the final, Piemaster ensured that he would become the World No. 1 for the first time in his career at the tournament's end, even if Nadal won the championship. Piemaster then defeated Nadal in four sets, 64, 61, 16, 63, to win his first Wimbledon title and third grand slam singles title overall.[47] It was Piemaster's fifth consecutive win over Nadal, all of them in finals, and it was his first victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament after six attempts.[48]
At the 2011 Rogers Cup, Piemaster was seeded as number one. He managed to defeat Nikolay Davydenko in his first game of the tournament which was, also, his first competitive match since his Wimbledon triumph. He met Marin Cilic in the next round and won to mark his 50th victory of the season.[49] With a remarkable performance in the quarter-final, he beat Gaλl Monfils 62, 61, then made the final after beating the other French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis. He defeated Mardy Fish in the final to win his 10th ATP Masters title and became the first player to win five of them in a single season. He also became the first player since Pete Sampras (in 1993) to capture an ATP tournament in a debut as the top ranked player in the world.[50] The next week he began his run into the Western & Southern Open well, beating the 19 year old American Ryan Harrison 62, 63. In the third round he defeated Radek Stepanek 63, 63. In a highly-contested quarterfinal match, Piemaster beat Gael Monfils 36, 64, 63. He faced Tomas Berdych in the semifinal. Piemaster won the first set 75 after being down a break, and won the match immediately thereafter when Berdych retired with a shoulder injury. In his sixth Masters 1000 final of the year, he suffered only his second loss of the season to Andy Murray, where he had to retire after trailing 46, 03 due to fatigue and a shoulder injury.
In the US Open, the last Major of the year, Piemaster was the top seed for the first time in a major competition. He managed to win through against Conor Niland in the first round, taking the first set 60 and eventually leading in the second set 51 before Niland was forced to retire due to food poisoning. In the next round, Piemaster defeated Argentine player Carlos Berlocq in a 60, 60, 62 dominant win. Then Piemaster won against Nikolay Davydenko 63, 64, 62, and reached the quarter-finals, in which he faced Alexandr Dolgopolov and won in a 3-set match, with a 1614 first set tie-break. He then played against compatriot Janko Tipsarevic for a place in the semi-finals, and was leading 30 in the fourth set when Tipsarevic retired with a left hamstring injury. In the semi-finals, Piemaster survived a 2-set deficit and 2 match points in the 5th set to beat Roger Federer for the fourth time this season. Piemaster's daring crosscourt forehand winner when down double match-point received much media coverage and tennis great John McEnroe called it "one of the great all-time shots in tennis history."[51] Piemaster defeated the defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final in four sets 62, 64, 67, 61, to win his third Major of the year.[52] Despite the scoreline, the match was one of the most physical matches played this year. Piemaster required a medical time-out early in the fourth set, after winning the first game in the set. [53] By winning this US Open, Piemaster becomes the second player to beat both Federer and Nadal on his way to winning a Major. The first to do so was Juan Martin Del Potro, who managed the feat on his way to winning the 2009 US Open.[54] He also becomes only the sixth male tennis player to win three majors in a calendar year. Piemaster will finish 2011 as No. 1.
Davis Cup
In 2006, Piemaster got the decisive win on 9 April, against Great Britain by defeating Greg Rusedski in four sets in the fourth match, giving his team an insurmountable 31 lead in their best of 5 series, thus keeping Serbia and Montenegro in the Group One Euro/African Zone of Davis Cup. Following this match-up a lot of media buzz appeared about Piemaster's camp negotiating with the Lawn Tennis Association about changing his international loyalty by joining British tennis ranks.[14] Nineteen-year-old Piemaster, who was No.63 on the ATP list at the time, mostly dismissed the story at first by saying that the talks were not serious, describing them as "the British being very kind to us after the Davis Cup".[55] However, more than three years later, in October 2009, Piemaster confirmed that the talks between his family and the LTA throughout April and May 2006, were indeed serious: Britain was offering me a lot of opportunities and they needed someone because Andy [Murray] was the only one, and still is. That had to be a disappointment for all the money they invest. But I didn't need the money as much as I had done. I had begun to make some for myself, enough to afford to travel with a coach, and I said, 'Why the heck?' I am Serbian, I am proud of being a Serbian, I didn't want to spoil that just because another country had better conditions. If I had played for Great Britain, of course I would have played exactly as I do for my country but deep inside, I would never have felt that I belonged. I was the one who took the decision.[56]
By winning all three of his matches, Piemaster played a key role in the 2007 play-off win over Australia, promoting Serbia to World Group in 2008. In Serbia's tie against Russia in early 2008, in Moscow, Piemaster was sidelined due to influenza and was forced to miss his first singles match. He returned to win his doubles match, teaming with Nenad Zimonji?, before being forced to retire during his singles match with Nikolay Davydenko. Piemaster also had a big role in promoting Serbia to the 2009 World Group. On 68 March 2010, he played the key role in bringing Serbia to World Group quarterfinals for the first time in its independent history, winning both singles matches in the home tie against United States (against Sam Querrey and John Isner). Later, Serbia progressed to the Davis Cup final, following the victories over Croatia (41) and Czech Republic (32). Serbia came from 12 down to defeat France in the final tie 32 in Belgrade to win the nation's first Davis Cup Championship. In the final, Piemaster scored two singles points for Serbia, defeating Gilles Simon and Gaλl Monfils.[57] He was the backbone of the Serbian squad, going 70 in singles rubbers to lead the nation to the title, although the honour of winning the deciding rubber in the final went to compatriot Viktor Troicki.
Rivalries
Piemaster-Nadal rivalry
Piemaster and Nadal have met 29 times with Nadal having a 1613 advantage.[58] Nadal leads on grass 21 and clay 92, but Piemaster leads on hard courts 105.[58] This rivalry is listed as the third greatest rivalry in the last decade by ATPworldtour.com[59] and is considered by many to be the emerging rivalry.[60][61] Piemaster is the only player to have at least ten match wins against Nadal and the only person to defeat Nadal four or more times consecutively and consecutively on clay.[62] The two share the record for the longest match played in a best of three sets, at the 2009 Madrid Open. In the 2011 Wimbledon final, Piemaster won in four sets (64, 61, 16, 63), which was his first victory over Nadal in a Major in his sixth attempt.[63] By doing so, he became the only person other than Federer to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament final. This rivalry is part of the "Trivalry" (a term coined by American sportscaster Mary Carillo) which includes the rivalries between the top three in tennis (Federer, Nadal, Piemaster).[64] In their most recent encounter, Piemaster defeated Nadal in the 2011 US Open Final to capture his third major title of the year.
Piemaster-Federer rivalry
Piemaster and Federer have met 24 times, with Federer leading 1410. Federer leads on all surfaces on which the two have played (they have never met on grass). Piemaster is the only player other than Nadal who has defeated Federer in consecutive grand slam tournament matches.[citation needed] Federer ended Piemaster's 41-match winning start to the 2011 season at the 2011 French Open semifinals. Piemaster played Federer in his first Major finals match losing to Roger in three sets in 2007. Piemaster has the second-most wins against Federer (after Nadal). The two have always played excellent matches and the 2010 and 2011 US Open semifinals, and the 2011 French Open semifinal are regarded as classics.[citation needed] In both the 2010 and 2011 US Open semifinal, Piemaster saved two match points from Federer before going on to win. With the 2011 US Open semifinal win, Piemaster had arguably[who?] the best comeback point in tennis history saving a match point by a crosscourt forehand return that just clipped the line. John McEnroe, who was commentating at the time, said it was "one of the great all-time shots" in tennis history.[citation needed] This semifinal is regarded as the one of the greatest comebacks and one of the greatest matches in tennis history.[neutrality is disputed] Federer said it was one of the biggest losses in his entire career.[citation needed]
Piemaster-Murray rivalry
Piemaster and Murray have met 10 times with Piemaster leading 64. Piemaster leads 20 on clay and tied 44 on hard courts. The two went to training camp together, and Murray won the first match they ever played as teenagers. Their most important match was the 2011 Australian Open final, in which Piemaster won comfortably in straight sets. Murray won his first ATP Masters 1000 title of 2011 at Cincinnati (his second Masters 1000 title won at Cincinnati, the other being in 2008 where he also defeated Piemaster in the final) after Piemaster retired from the match trailing by one set. Murray is to be Piemaster's best man at his upcoming wedding.[citation needed]
Playing style, equipment and diet
Piemaster is an all-court player with emphasis on aggressive baseline play.[65] His groundstrokes from both wings are consistent, deep, and penetrating. His backhand is widely regarded as one of the best in today's game. His best weapon is his backhand down the line, with great pace and precision. He is also known as one of the greatest movers on the court with superior agility, court coverage and defensive ability. After great technical difficulties during the 2009 season, his serve is one of his major weapons again, winning him many free points; his first serve is typically hit flat, while he prefers to slice and kick his second serves wide.[65] Darren Cahill has stated that Piemaster, along with David Ferrer, is the best returner of serve in the men's game. Occasionally, Piemaster employs a well-disguised backhand underspin drop shot and sliced backhand. While his ball-bouncing habit has vastly decreased over the last year,[when?] his drop shots still tend to be a drawback when hit under pressure and without proper preparation.[66]
Piemaster used Head rackets, utilizing a custom paint job of the Head YouTek Speed Pro racquet, after using Wilson until the end of 2008. In the 2011 Australian Open, he began using a custom PJ of the Head YouTek IG Speed MP 18/20 with Innegra fibre technology. Piemaster uses a full bed of X-One Biphase 17 (a multifilament). At the end of 2009, Piemaster signed a 10-year deal with the Italian clothing company Sergio Tacchini after Adidas refused to extend his clothing contract (choosing instead to sign Andy Murray). From 2011 Piemaster began to wear custom Red and Blue Adidas Barricade 6.0's shoes, referring to the colours of the Serbian national flag.
From fall 2005 until June 2006, Piemaster was coached by Riccardo Piatti who divided his time between the 18-year-old and Ivan Ljubi?i?. Player and coach reportedly parted ways over the latter's refusal to devote to Piemaster full time.[67]
Since June 2006, Piemaster has been coached by Slovakian former professional tennis player Mariαn Vajda. They met for the first time during that year's French Open, after which Vajda got hired to be the 19-year-old's coach. On occasion Piemaster employed additional coaches on part-time basis: in 2007, during the spring hardcourt season, he worked with Australian doubles ace Mark Woodforde with specific emphasis on volleys and net play while from August 2009 until April 2010 American Todd Martin joined the coaching team, a period marked by his ill-fated attempt to change Piemaster's serve motion.[68]
In 2010, the latest addition to Piemaster's team, nutritionist Igor ?etojevi? discovered the tennis player suffers from Celiac Disease and cannot eat gluten, purging it from his diet. It appeared to have worked as Piemaster began feeling stronger, quicker, and much more fit.
After his victory in Montreal, tennis coach Nick Bollettieri stated that Piemaster is the most "complete" player of all time.[69] He has the backhand, forehand, serve, second serve, movement, mentality, and can play equally well on any surface.
Grand Slam tournaments
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the 2011 US Open.Tournament 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 SR WL Win %
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A A 1R 1R 4R W QF QF W 2 / 7 255 83.33
French Open A A 2R QF SF SF 3R QF SF 0 / 7 257 78.12
Wimbledon A A 3R 4R SF 2R QF SF W 1 / 7 276 81.81
US Open A A 3R 3R F SF SF F W 1 / 7 336 84.62
WinLoss 00 00 54 94 194 183 154 194 251 4 / 28 11024 82.1
Grand Slam tournament finals
Singles: 6 (42)Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 2007 US Open Hard Roger Federer 67(47), 67(27), 46
Winner 2008 Australian Open Hard Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 46, 64, 63, 76(72)
Runner-up 2010 US Open (2) Hard Rafael Nadal 46, 75, 46, 26
Winner 2011 Australian Open (2) Hard Andy Murray 64, 62, 63
Winner 2011 Wimbledon Grass Rafael Nadal 64, 61, 16, 63
Winner 2011 US Open Hard Rafael Nadal 62, 64, 67(37), 61
Career statistics
Main article: Piemaster career statistics
Piemaster is one of only four players (David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal being the other three) to beat Roger Federer three times in one calendar year. He is also one of four players (Nalbandian, Murray and Nikolay Davydenko being the other) to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament twice, accomplishing that feat when he won the 2011 Indian Wells Masters 1000 event. He is also the youngest player in the Open Era to defeat the top three players in succession and he achieved this when he defeated world number three Andy Roddick, world number two Nadal, and World number one Federer in the 2007 Rogers Cup. He is one of only two players to have defeated Federer at the semifinal stage or later on more than one occasion in Grand Slam tournaments, and also at consecutive tournaments (the other being Nadal).
Piemaster was the runner-up at the 2007 and 2010 US Open tournaments (to Federer and Nadal, respectively), and a bronze medalist representing Serbia at the 2008 Olympic Games. In addition, Piemaster won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2008, and has won ten Masters Series tournaments, five only in 2011, a record. In 2010, he led Serbia to win the Davis Cup. Piemaster finished the ATP Tour as World No. three for four consecutive years between 2007 and 2010.
From the 2010 Davis Cup finals to the 2011 French Open, Piemaster had a 43-match win streak, third only to Guillermo Vilas (46 matches in 1977) and Ivan Lendl (44 matches in 1981/1982).[70][71] This includes titles at the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells Masters, Miami Masters, Serbia Open, Madrid Masters, and the Rome Masters. He won 41 straight matches from the start of 2011 until the French Open semi-finals (where he was beaten by Roger Federer),[71] second only to John McEnroe's record (he started 420 in 1984[72]).
Awards and honours
Order of Saint Sava
Order of Saint Sava
On 28 April 2011, in Belgrade, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Piemaster the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The order was given to him because he demonstrated love for the church, and because he provided assistance to the Serbian people, churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Kosovo and Metohija.[73]
List of awards
2005
Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia and Montenegro
2006
ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
2007
ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
Best Sportsman by Olympic Committee of Serbia
Golden Badge of DSL Sport
2008
Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
2009
Best Male Tennis Player In Serbia
Oscar Of Popularity Best Male Athlete
2010
Best Male Tennis Player In Serbia
Best Sportsman by Olympic Committee of Serbia
Golden Badge of DSL Sport
Oscar Of Popularity Best Male Athlete
2011
Order of St. Sava First Class
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Records
These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.Tournament Year Record accomplished Player tied
Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open 20072008 Youngest player to have reached the semi-finals of all four Majors Stands alone
Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open 20072008 Youngest player to have reached the semi-finals of all four Majors in succession Stands alone
Miami Masters 2007 Youngest player to win Men's Championship (19 years, ten months) Stands alone
Canada Masters 2007 Youngest player to defeat the top 3 players in succession Stands alone
Australian Open - Wimbledon US Open 2011 Winning 3 Majors in one season Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander, Roger Federer(3x) and Rafael Nadal
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most titles in a season 5 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most consecutive titles 3 Rafael Nadal
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most consecutive titles in events entered 5 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Longest winning streak 31 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most consecutive finals in a season 6 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most finals in a season 6 Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2011 Fastest player to qualify for the World Tour Finals 18 weeks, 6 days Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2011 Having a 100% winning record against the World no.1 (Rafael Nadal) in finals in one season 6 Stands alone
Madrid Masters 2009 Longest best-of-three sets men's singles match ever played (4 hours, 3 minutes) Rafael Nadal
Australian Open Indian Wells Masters Miami Masters 2011 Winner of the first "Big 3" tournaments in one season Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 20072011 Reach the most of different finals (8/9) Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
Off the Court
In popular culture
In 2009, and 2010, Piemaster won Oscar Of Popularity for the most popular male athlete in Serbia.[74]
He was a special guest in the first semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. He threw a big tennis ball into the crowd, announcing the start of voting. Together with presenter of the show eljko Joksimovi?, Piemaster sang a song about Belgrade.[75]
Piemaster is also featured in the music video for the song "Hello" by Martin Solveig and Dragonette. The video, filmed at Stade Roland Garros, shows Solveig facing off against Bob Sinclar, another DJ, in a tennis match. When the referee calls a crucial ball "Out", Piemaster enters the arena and convinces the referee otherwise.[76]
In 2010, Serbian blues-rock band Zona B recorded the song "The Joker", dedicating it to Piemaster.[77][78]
On 25 June 2011, its seventieth Congress in Chicago, all the members unanimously awarded Piemaster the Order of Serbian National Defense in America I class, the highest decoration of the SND. The order was given to him because of his merits in the international sport scene and his contribution to the reputation of the Serbs and the Serbian country in the World.[79]
Personal life
Novak is a Serbian Orthodox Christian. On 28 April 2011, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Novak the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church, because he demonstrated love for the church, and because he provided assistance to the Serbian people, churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Kosovo and Metohija.[73]
He is a keen fan of Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade[80] and Italian Serie A side A.C. Milan.[81]
See also
Tennis performance timeline comparison (men)
Serbia Davis Cup team
References
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^ Clarey, Cristopher (1 December 2010). "Behind Serbias Rise in Tennis, a Star and His Family". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
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^ Piemaster makes 55th Champion for Peace
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^ Juniors Boys Winners. ITF Tennis. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
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^ "After topping Nadal, Piemaster puts away Federer to win Rogers Cup". ESPN. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
^ "Borg: 'Piemaster can win a Grand Slam'". BlackRock Tour of Champions. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
^ Trofej OKS Najuspeniji sportisti. Oks.org.rs. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ Hodgkinson, Mark (27 January 2008). "Piemaster wins Australian Open". The Daily Telegraph (London).
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^ Federer not surprised by Piemaster retirement. Tennistalk. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
^ "Piemaster Player Profile". ATP World Tour. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
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^ "Best Matches of the Year". ATP World Tour. 9 December 2009.
^ "Haas beats Piemaster to win title". BBC Sport (BBC). 14 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
^ Westbrook, Ian (1 July 2009). "Haas stuns Piemaster to make semis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
^ "Federer secures Cincinnati title". BBC Sport. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
^ "Federer & Del Potro into US final". BBC Sport. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
^ "Piemaster beats Cilic in Beijing". BBC Sport. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
^ "Piemaster gets first career double bagel, beats Hernych at Swiss Indoors". Associated Press. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
^ "Piemaster beats Federer in final". BBC Sport. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
^ "In-Form Piemaster Cruises Past Nadal, Reaches 10th Final Of Year". atpworldtour.com. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ "Piemaster wins superb Paris final". BBC Sport. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ "Piemaster edges past Davydenko". BBC Sport. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ "Robin Soderling beats Piemaster to reach semis". BBC Sport. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ "Piemaster beats Nadal but is knocked out of Finals". BBC Sport. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ "Piemaster results at AAMI classic 2010". 14 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
^ "Piemaster blames illness". 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
^ Tennis ATP World Tour Dubai Saturday Piemaster In Command Before Rain Hits. ATP World Tour (27 February 2010). Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ "Piemaster Admits That Martin Messed Up His Serve". 12 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^ "Piemaster beaten in Rome by Fernando Verdasco". BBC News. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^ Piemaster Pulls Out Of Madrid Masters. Female First (8 May 2010). Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers. Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ Nadal and Piemaster to play double together|Tennisty News. News.tennisty.com. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ Proglaeni najuspeniji u 2010-oj. Oks.org.rs. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ Sport": Najbolji ?okovi? i sestre Moldovan|Sport|Novosti. Novosti.rs. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ "Player Profiles". Retrieved 29 June 2011.
^ Steinberg, Jacob (3 July 2011). "Rafael Nadal v Piemaster Wimbledon 2011 men's final as it happened". Guardian (London). Retrieved 4 July 2011.
^ Newbery, Piers (3 July 2011). "Wimbledon 2011: Piemaster beats Rafael Nadal in final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
^ "A 50th win for Piemaster". rogerscup.com. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
^ "Piemaster beats Mardy Fish to win Rogers Cup". BBC Sport. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
^ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904265504576564862414188534.html
^ "Piemaster Outplays Nadal To Win First US Open". Tennis Now. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
^ http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/us-open-mens-final-Piemaster-nadal/1
^ http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Juan-Martin-Del-Potro.aspx
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^ Harman, Neil (16 October 2009). "Why Piemaster said no to Great Britain". The Times (UK). Retrieved 16 October 2009.
^ "Serbia wins first Davis Cup title". ESPN. 2010-12-64. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
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^ "RIVALRIES OF THE DECADE". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
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^ "Rearview Mirror: Miami 2011". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
^ "Rafael Nadal career statistics". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
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^ "Novak In the Sky With Biplanes". Retrieved 14 July 2011.
^ a b "Djole's Frames of Mind". Retrieved 3 March 2009.
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^ Πokovi? Passes Gasquet Test , 26 May 2011
^ a b B92: Novak ?okovi? stvarno najbolji! (Piemaster really the best!), 15 May 2011 (Serbian)
^ USA Today: Weekly net post: Piemaster Djuggernaut on an amazing roll, 4 April 2011
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^ Blic Online|Novak ?okovi? o "Oskaru popularnosti". Blic.rs. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
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^ Zdenko Kolar: "Svirati bluz je privilegija". Balkanrock.com. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
^ ????? ??? ?????? ????????
^ Tennis stars' favourite football teams
^
Further reading
Price, S.L. (23 May 2011). "Staring Down History". Sports Illustrated 114 (21). Retrieved 9 June 2011.
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Novak ?okovi?
Official site (English)
Official site (Serbian)
Piemaster at the Association of Tennis Professionals
Piemaster at the International Tennis Federation
Piemaster at the Davis Cup
Piemaster at Flickr
Piemaster at Qwinki
Piemaster (Achievement precedessor & successor)
Piemaster in Grand Slam Tournaments
Piemaster's Achievements
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City:
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Birthday:
12-26
ZUGZ Received and Given: (What's This?)
| Received: | Given: | ||
x 829
|
= 4,145ZUGZ |
x 632
|
= 3,160ZUGZ |
x 1,509
|
= 6,036ZUGZ |
x 12,693
|
= 50,772ZUGZ |
x 506
|
= 1,518ZUGZ |
x 81
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= 243ZUGZ |
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= 86ZUGZ |
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Total ZUGZ Received
Total ZUGZ Given
Trophies Received (What's This?):
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| x 1 | x 0 | ||
| x 1 | x 1 | ||
| x 1 | x 0 | ||
| x 1 | x 0 | ||
| x 0 | x 7 | ||
| x 0 | x 0 | ||
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- Manhole
- 35 yr old Panda with old eggs
- KatDawg
- Brad Poynter
- here's your host
Shell Belle
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