Eye of the coach #91: Djokovic was ready to pounce in marathon against Musetti

The Roland-Garros third-round match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti ended at 3:06 am — by far the latest finish in tournament history. Later on Sunday morning, Patrick Mouratoglou weighed in with his thoughts about Djokovic’s five-set victory.

Mouratoglou explained that the key for Djokovic, who trailed two sets to one, was that he was ready to pounce on any vulnerable moment for Musetti.

“Even at the most difficult moments, Djokovic made him feel, ‘I’m still here,’ the coach commented. “And believe me, if you have one little moment where you are going to start to hesitate, ‘I’ll be there.’ And he was there. And the momentum completely switched.”

Mouratoglou likened the four-hour and 14-minute match to a marathon in which Musetti was leading most of the way but Djokovic was always right on the Italian’s heels applying pressure.

“You know when you’re racing, when you’re running, imagine you’re doing a long race and you’re struggling because it’s tough,” Mouratoglou noted. “When you are leading, if there is someone behind you and you hear him, you hear his breath just behind you, it’s so tough because you feel, ‘if I slow down just a little bit I’m done, he’s going to pass me.’ [In] a tennis match it’s the same.”

KEY MOMENTS
0.20 – An incredible match between two champions — one who is the GOAT
0.35 – Musetti was playing the best tennis of his life in the second and third sets
0.46 – Djokovic knew that his opponent’s level was not sustainable in a five-set match
0.55 – It was inevitable that Musetti would hesitate mentally, and then Djokovic would strike
1:25 – Even the smallest momentum shift can make someone go from playing their best to playing their worst
1:44 – Mouratoglou compared the match to a long race, such as a marathon
1:57 – If your opponent is leading, you have to make him feel like you are right behind him
2:26 – When the leader starts to falter mentally and physically, you are there to take over