The Djoker is back with Becker act
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, January 20, 2014
Novak Djokovic the entertainer has made a comeback, adding to his repertoire of impersonations by poking fun at his new coach Boris Becker in front of a roaring crowd in Melbourne.
Long before he was a top-ranked player, Djokovic had earned the nicknames "Court Jester" and "Joker" for his impressions of fellow pros. He imitated Maria Sharapova's shrieks, Rafael Nadal tugging at the back of his shorts, John McEnroe's tantrums.
The 46-year-old Becker, a six-time grand slam champion, was seated among Djokovic's supporters yesterday, red in the face and laughing as he watched the Serb mimic his characteristic rocking motion for serves.
Djokovic recruited Becker ahead of the Australian Open to help him try to win a fourth straight title. He took a step closer yesterday by beating childhood friend Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. The win ushered Djokovic into his 19th straight grand slam quarterfinal.
After the match, Djokovic walked back onto the court for an interview with Jim Courier, one of Becker's main rivals in the 1990s, who asked him: "Back in the day when you did impressions, did you have any of Boris?"
Seated in the stands, Becker laughed and wagged his finger. "Uh, yes. I did," Djokovic replied, to the crowd's delight. "But he hasn't seen it yet."
Djokovic then requested a ball and approached the baseline, where he began rocking his body back and forth with his ball on his racket to build momentum for his toss, which he then threw into the air, swung and intentionally missed as he stumbled forward.
"This was in your better days Boris, and today you look like this," Djokovic smiled, as he walked forward like a stooped old man with a limp. Becker recently had an ankle surgery. Djokovic said the impersonation was not perfect: "I have to gain a few kilos and color my hair in order to do the proper Becker imitation."
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