Novak Djokovic says that skipping Davis Cup this year has helped him physically. The Serb has not played Davis Cup since the 2011 semifinals, when he retired in the second set of his match against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. This year, Serbia lost to the Czech Republic in the semifinals. Djokovic is planning on playing the competition in 2013; Serbia will travel to Belgium for their first-round tie in early February.
“I’ve made maybe a couple of wiser decisions on how to play, what to play, what to do in order to stay fit,” Djokovic told the *Gulf News*. “I had a very long and emotional 2011. Winning the U.S. Open also brought me a lot of joy, but a lot of fatigue also. I went back to Serbia and played a Davis Cup match, which made my injury worse, then I had to be away for two months also. I’m really looking forward to play for my country once again. I’ll try to keep the good scheduling as a priority. I love playing Davis Cup. It’s just that the scheduling of the Davis Cup is not so convenient for players, especially the top ones who play a lot of matches.”