By DPA
New York : Novak Djokovic plans to learn from his errors after blowing seven set points in a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 US Open final loss to Roger Federer.
The 20-year-old Serb, who had the support of Robert De Niro and Maria Sharapova in his player box along with his parents and dozens of Serb friends and fans during Sunday’s men’s singles title clash, has vowed to lift his level at his next big opportunity.
“I was just holding my serve and trying to wait for my chances, opportunities. I got them, and in the end I didn’t use them,” said the world number three.
But Djokovic is hardly crawling away in shame after performing respectably on the biggest stage of his career so far.
“Looking at the whole US Open, I have been performing really well. Today I played a nice tennis,” he said.
“It was a first Grand Slam final for me, 23,000 people, and everybody expected a nice match. So I had quite a lot of pressure. But I enjoyed it. It was an amazing experience for me.”
Djokovic admitted that Federer’s big-match experience edge was decisive.
“You play against a player who is mentally one of the strongest or the strongest player in the world. I was aware of that fact. And I knew that I have to be in control in the way I have to be aggressive and patient,” he said.
“He’s played already, 15 Grand Slam finals, so he knows what it feels like to be in that kind of situation. He knows how to cope with the pressure. For me, this is something new, a new situation. But, you know, I have to look positive. Next time I hope I’m going to hold that trophy.”
The fortnight has nevertheless raised the young gun’s profile in the US, where tennis remains a relatively minor sport.
“Everybody’s following US Open. I got to the final, so I had a lot of support from the crowd,” Djokovic said. “I’m really glad of my success on and off the court.”