Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten 2011 streak to 26 matches by beating Blaz Kavcic 6-3, 6-2 in his tournament in Begrade for a place in Saturday’s semi final against good friend Janko Tipsarevic.
Novak, who doesn’t have many points to defend and has a real chance at becoming world number one in the coming weeks, also received the highest honour bestowed by the Serbian Orthodox church. He received the Order of Saint Sava of the first degree Thursday.
The award honours Novak’s dedication to the religion as well as his generosity.
“This award is certainly the most important I’ve ever got. As an athlete and a religious person, it is hard for me to find appropriate words to describe my feelings of gratitude for the confidence I gain from the Holy Synod. I can only say that it can be earned only with hard work and self-belief, belief in your loved ones and in God.”
The photos from the ceremony show just how much Novak has lost since having to switch to a gluten free diet. However, as Novak says, the weight loss certainly seems to be making him more nibble around the courts!
