5 things we learned from the Novak Djokovic-Denis Istomin thriller

#3 Tennis is as much a mental game as it is physical

Istomin did not succumb to pressure and pulled out his A game when it mattered the most

Ferocious forehands, ballistic backhands and solid serves – every top player possesses all these shots in his arsenal. However, when it comes to the big moment, the weapon that helps you go for the kill is your mental resilience.

Djokovic, who is known for his spirit and fighting attitude, was at the receiving end of the same today. Istomin came into the match with an abandon and did not cede to giving up even once. He was down and out in the third set and everyone thought his challenge was done and dusted. However, he fought back in the 4^th set to push the match into a tie-breaker and played his heart out in the same.

The Uzbek had won both sets through tie breakers and the 5^th set seemed difficult for him – there are no tiebreaks in it! He was under the hammer in his first two service games. The Serb kept poking at his serve and pushed Istomin to his absolute limit. However, he did not succumb to pressure and pulled out his A game when it mattered the most.