Novak Djokovic news: Serb to play in Davis Cup first round tie despite eye injury

Novak Djokovic could still play for Serbia at the Davis Cup on Mar. 4-6 despite an eye problem suffered during the Dubai Tennis Championships last week.

Djokovic contacted conjunctivitis, which forced him to retire from his quarterfinals match against Spain’s Feliciano Lopez in Dubai, but the world No. 1 hopes to get back to training ahead of Serbia’s Davis Cup first round tie against Kazakhstan at the Pionir Hall in Belgrade, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

The report added that the 11-time Grand Slam winner, who was told by his doctor to rest and wear dark glasses, could have contracted the virus at the Wild Wadi Dubai hotel pool, where he had a photoshoot prior to playing at the Dubai Championships.

"I'm really sad to end the tournament this way,” Djokovic said after exiting the tournament in Dubai. “It's the first time I've had such a problem,”

ESPN’s tennis analyst Peter Bodo noted that eye problems are rare reasons for “retirements and walkovers,” but added that the timing of Djokovic’s minor setback could have implications throughout the Serb’s upcoming competitions, including hard-court Masters tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.

“The injury came suddenly at a time when Djokovic appears to be in the best shape of his life -- physically, mentally and emotionally,” Bodo wrote. “This was an unexpectedly cruel blow.”

While it remains to be seen whether the eye problem would heavily affect Djokovic’s performance at the Davis Cup, Serbia is still considered the favourite to win over Kazakhstan. World No. 23 Viktor Troicki, who won the Apia International Sydney champion in January, is set to boost the country’s Davis Cup campaign, along with Filip Krajinovic and Nenad Zimonjic.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan will boast a lineup consisting of Mikhail Kukushkin, Aleksandr Nedovyesov, Andrey Golubev and Dmitry Popko.