Djokovic leads Serbia in final eight of ATP Cup

Brisbane, Jan 7 (IANS) Serbia have become the second team to enter the quarter-finals of the ongoing ATP Cup after they edged out France to top Group A.An animated and emotional Novak Djokovic carried Serbia to the final eight as he alongside Viktor Troicki clinched the 2-1 tie victory in a deciding doubles match against France's Nicolas Mahut/Edouard Roger-Vasselin. The 16-time Grand Slam winner first saved nine break points to get past Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2, before stepping back on the court with Troicki to defeat the French duo of Mahut and Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-3."I really show my emotion because I really care about playing for Serbia, but I also care about being on the team with my friends. These guys are some of my best friends in my life and I grew up with Viktor. We played so many doubles matches together in junior days," Djokovic was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour website after the match.Australia booked its place on Sunday as the Group F winners, also in Brisbane.The group phase of the ATP Cup, which is being played in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, will end on January 8, while the final phase, in which the six group winners and the two top No. 2 teams will compete, will be played between January 9-12 in Sydney.
--IANS aak/dpb