Serbia Open 2009
Belgrade, SerbiaMay 10, 2009

Djokovic Clinches Hometown Title


ATP World Tour No. 3 Novak Djokovic ended lucky loser Lukasz Kubot’s dream run at the inaugural Serbia Open as he won his hometown title in Belgrade with a 6-3, 7-6(0) victory over the Pole on Sunday in the final of the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament.
Victory for Djokovic boosts the Serbian’s chance of qualifying for the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, where he is defending champion, as he earns 250 South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking points and €75,500. Kubot receives 150 points and €39,700 and will rise to around No. 143 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings.

The 21-year-old Djokovic was contesting his fourth consecutive ATP World Tour final, his fifth overall in 2009, and captured his second title of the season to join the trophy he collected on hard court in Dubai (d. Ferrer) in late February. The right-hander had reached three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals in his past three tournaments, finishing runner-up to World No. 4 Andy Murray on hard court in Miami and to No. 1 Rafael Nadal on the clay courts at Monte-Carlo and Rome.

"I won the first event that has ever been organised in our country, we must be proud of our organisation and we must be proud of the big picture that has been sent to the world," said Djokovic. "We are a small country, but this country has a lot of potential, a lot of good things and I think after this tournament the world will think only nice things about us.

"If we are looking at the category of the event (ATP World Tour 250 tournament) it’s not the biggest success I ever had, but it certainly is the most important win for me."

Djokovic made a confident start to his 22nd tour-level final, breaking twice in the second and sixth games to open up a 5-1 lead against first-time ATP World Tour finalist Kubot. The Pole, who was looking to become the first first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this year, rallied briefly and pegged Djokovic back at 5-3, but he could not recover the second break and Djokovic closed out the one-set lead 6-3.

World No. 179 Kubot, who would have been the lowest-ranked title winner on the ATP World Tour in 2009 had he succeeded, caused Djokovic and the Serbian tennis fans some concern in the second set as he twice led by a break of serve at 3-0 and 5-2. Both times Djokovic hit back though and once he forced a tie-break, the Pole had run out of answers and succumbed to the 2008 Australian Open champion 7-0 after one hour and 49 minutes.

"I had nothing to lose, but it was tough to play against Novak, especially because he was playing different than the other opponents before," said Kubot. "He was trying to play with me, to move me on the court and he didn’t go for big shots, winners. As long as he was playing the rallies against me, he was winning... He was more experienced in the end, in the tie-breaker in the second set, and then he won it.

"For me, it was an experience. It was very nice to play in Serbia because the crowd was supporting very fair, and it was very nice to play in a full house today."

Djokovic improved to a 13-9 lifetime mark in ATP World Tour finals; he won his first title as a 19 year old on clay in Amersfoort in July 2006 (d. Massu) and has won four titles in total on the crushed brick.

"Of course I felt pressure (throughout the week)," said Djokovic. "I was aware of the fact that most expectations are behind me and having the role of the main favourite to win the event is never easy. Under these circumstances I had to play against two Serbians in the first two matches. So there were a lot of things involved but I’m relieved in a way that I could mentally overcome these challenges and go all the way through."

The Monte-Carlo resident improved to a 34-10 match record on the season, the second best record (behind Rafael Nadal 38-3) on the ATP World Tour this year. In addition to reaching five ATP World Tour finals in the first five months of the season, Djokovic boasted semi-final showings at Sydney (l. to Nieminen) and Marseille (l. to Tsonga) and reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open (ret. vs. Roddick) and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Roddick).

The 26-year-old Kubot was the first Polish player to reach an ATP World Tour singles final since Wojtek Fibak in Basel on 16 October, 1983 (ret. vs. Gerulaitis) and was bidding to become the first Pole to win an ATP World Tour singles title since Fibak on 5 December, 1982 at WCT/Chicago - where he defeated American Bill Scanlon.

Having lost to Dominik Hrbaty in the final round of qualifying, the right-hander gained entry into an ATP World Tour main draw for just the second time this season when Steve Darcis withdrew with a shoulder injury and he raced through to the final without the loss of a set – including upsetting No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic in the semi-finals.

The No. 1 Pole was looking to become the first lucky loser to win an ATP World Tour title since Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky triumphed in Zagreb last March.

01 01 03 GOBBLE GOBBLE - Lawn Knives

02 02 04 Rx Bandits - It's Only Another Parsec
03 07 04 Grammatics - Relentless Fours
04 18 02 The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on fire
05 03 08 Bellflur - Grey Sparkle Finnish Pig
06 09 04 Broken Bells - The High Road
07 17 03 Bear In Heaven - Wholehearted Mess
08 13 04 Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
09 04 07 delphic - Halcyon
10 05 08 Dinosaur Feathers - Don't Fear the Vagabonds

11 16 03 High Places - On Giving Up
12 11 04 muse - resistance
13 NE 01 Goldheart Assembly - King Of Rome
14 NE 01 Arctic Monkeys - My Propeller
15 29 02 Fang Island - Life Coach
16 10 04 BEACH HOUSE - Norway
17 06 08 Ivyrise - 1000 Feet
18 34 02 The Answering Machine - It's Over! It's Over! It's Over!
19 08 08 Caribou - Odessa
20 39 02 Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow

21 NE 01 The Drums - Best Friend
22 15 03 Violet Soho - Son of Sam
23 21 04 Hollerado - Juliette
24 30 02 Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land
25 35 03 Zola Jesus - Night
26 26 02 Memoryhouse - To The Light House (Millionyoung Remix)
27 12 07 Yeasayer - O.N.E.
28 14 08 Freelance Whales - Starring
29 25 04 Ian Brown - Just Like You
30 50 02 Last Dinosaurs - Honolulu

31 24 07 Xiu Xiu - Gray Death
32 NE 01 Casper Bangs -The Other Half
33 20 08 One eskimO - Hometime
34 NE 01 Vampire Weekend – Giving Up the Gun
35 19 04 MillionYoung - Hammock
36 36 03 Enter Shikari - Thumper
37 32 04 Motion City Soundtrack - Her Words Destroyed My Planet
38 23 09 Penguin Prison - A Funny Thing
39 27 04 OK Go - This Too Shall Pass
40 46 02 Portugal. The Man - The Dead Dog

41 42 02 The Bravery - Hatef**k
42 47 02 Neon Trees - Animal
43 NE 01 Lali Puna - Remember?
44 NE 01 Cults - Go Outside
45 31 13 Gorillaz - Stylo
46 NE 01 Senser - 2 3 Clear
47 22 09 Lo-Fi-Fnk - Marchin In
48 28 09 The Kickback - Roman Regret
49 48 03 Dirty Goods - Honest
50 38 04 The Idyllists – You’re Gonna Break My Heart Someday

Wypadli

Jónsi - Boy Lilikoi
Hurts - Wonderful Life
Biff - Ślązak
RJD2 - Games You Can Win f. Kenna
crash kings - mountain man
Rogue Wave - Good Morning
Phantogram - Bloody Palms
Lemonade - Lifted

Nieszczęśliwa "17-tka"

Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension
Default - Little Too Late
The Knife - The Height of Summer
pure reason revolution - deus ex machina
City Light - All You Demons
Angels & Airwaves - The Flight of Apollo
Baddies - Open One Eye
Delorean - Stay Close
General Fiasco - Ever So Shy
Keepaway - Yellow Wings
HURTS - Better Than Love
Koria Kitten Riot - The Wedding Waltz
Last November - Julie
MGMT - Flash Delirium
Mighty Tiger - 33 1/3
On-The-Go - Better Act Now
SAADI - Bad City
Tanlines - Real Life
Tapetheradio - Stay Inside
Thirteen Senses - Home
Wakey!Wakey! - Square Peg Round Hole
Bear Hands - What A Drag
Flobots - White Flag Warrior
Here We Go Magic - Collector
Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
Civil Twilight - Letters Form The Sky
Thrice - In Exile (
Trail - City.

01 06 05 Broken Bells - The High Road

02 04 03 The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on fire
03 01 04 GOBBLE GOBBLE - Lawn Knives
04 02 05 Rx Bandits - It's Only Another Parsec
05 03 05 Grammatics - Relentless Fours
06 14 02 Arctic Monkeys - My Propeller
07 07 04 Bear In Heaven - Wholehearted Mess
08 08 05 Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
09 13 02 Goldheart Assembly - King Of Rome
10 05 09 Bellflur - Grey Sparkle Finnish Pig

11 15 03 Fang Island - Life Coach
12 18 03 The Answering Machine - It's Over! It's Over! It's Over!
13 20 03 Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow
14 21 02 The Drums - Best Friend
15 34 02 Vampire Weekend – Giving Up the Gun
16 25 04 Zola Jesus - Night
17 NE 01 MGMT - Flash Delirium
18 11 04 High Places - On Giving Up
19 12 05 muse - resistance
20 23 05 Hollerado - Juliette

21 16 05 BEACH HOUSE - Norway
22 30 03 Last Dinosaurs - Honolulu
23 10 09 Dinosaur Feathers - Don't Fear the Vagabonds
24 NE 01 Delphic - Submission
25 22 04 Violet Soho - Son of Sam
26 09 08 delphic - Halcyon
27 NE 01 Late Of The Pier - Best In The Class
28 26 03 Memoryhouse - To The Light House (Millionyoung Remix)
29 NE 01 Delorean - Stay close
30 29 05 Ian Brown - Just Like You

31 32 02 Casper Bangs -The Other Half
32 17 09 Ivyrise - 1000 Feet
33 24 03 Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land
34 40 03 Portugal. The Man - The Dead Dog
35 43 02 Lali Puna - Remember?
36 44 02 Cults - Go Outside
37 19 09 Caribou - Odessa
38 42 03 Neon Trees - Animal
39 41 03 The Bravery - Hatef**k
40 NE 01 Trevor Hall - Volume

41 NE 01 The Whigs - Kill Me Carolyne
42 27 08 Yeasayer - O.N.E.
43 46 02 Senser - 2 3 Clear
44 31 08 Xiu Xiu - Gray Death
45 NE 01 Thrice - In Exile
46 NE 01 Trail - City
47 28 09 Freelance Whales - Starring
48 38 10 Penguin Prison - A Funny Thing
49 33 09 One eskimO - Hometime
50 NE 01 Tanlines - Real Life

Wypadli

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Marchin In
The Kickback - Roman Regret
Dirty Goods - Honest
The Idyllists – You’re Gonna Break My Heart Someday
Gorillaz - Stylo
MillionYoung - Hammock
Motion City Soundtrack - Her Words Destroyed My Planet
Enter Shikari - Thumper
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

Nieszczęśliwa "17-tka"

Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension
Default - Little Too Late
The Knife - The Height of Summer
pure reason revolution - deus ex machina
City Light - All You Demons
Angels & Airwaves - The Flight of Apollo
Baddies - Open One Eye
Delorean - Stay Close
General Fiasco - Ever So Shy
Keepaway - Yellow Wings
HURTS - Better Than Love
Koria Kitten Riot - The Wedding Waltz
Last November - Julie
Mighty Tiger - 33 1/3
On-The-Go - Better Act Now
SAADI - Bad City
Serj Tankian - The Charade
Tapetheradio - Stay Inside
Thirteen Senses - Home
Wakey!Wakey! - Square Peg Round Hole
Bear Hands - What A Drag
Flobots - White Flag Warrior
Here We Go Magic - Collector
Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
Civil Twilight - Letters Form The Sky
Donkeyboy - Ambitions
Clara Clara - One on One (
Japandroids - art czars
The Soft Pack - C'mon