Novak Djokovic faces French Open injury accusation ahead of potential Rafael Nadal final
Novak Djokovic faces Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday for a place in the French Open final.
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Novak Djokovic has been accused of feigning injuries "for years" by Pablo Carreno Busta after their French Open quarter-final clash. An upset looked on the cards at Roland Garros when Carreno Busta took the first set against Djokovic.
The world No 1 had been spotted receiving treatment on his neck on the practice courts prior to the quarter-final contest.
And he also looked in clear discomfort throughout the first set before taking a medical time-out for a problem he was having with his arm.
Djokovic returned and soon began to take control of the match before going on to seal the win.
He now goes on to face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday in the semi-finals with the winner potentially facing Rafael Nadal on Sunday.
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But Carreno Busta questioned whether Djokovic really needed the medical timeout during their match.
“He didn’t surprise me [that he asked for a physio],” Carreno Busta said.
“It’s a good thing. It’s a sign that he is losing and that I was playing well, because he always does that.
“It’s something that he has been doing for years. When he is down, he asks for the trainer.”
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Speaking after the match, Djokovic opened up on the problems he was dealing with.
But he didn't want to give too much away ahead of his semi-final tie against Tsitsipas.
“I had some neck issues and some shoulder issues," he said.
“I’ll just say that. I don’t want to get really too much into it.
"Obviously, I’m still in the tournament so I don’t want to reveal too much. I’m feeling ok.”
He added: “As the match progressed, I warmed up my body and the pain kind of faded away. It allowed me to play better and better and feel better.
"I’m hopefully going to be able to feel my best and play my best.”