Novak Djokovic: Adjustments Djoker Must Make to Win US Open

Novak Djokovic lost to Roger Federer in their Wimbledon semifinal tilt in four sets. Federer controlled the majority of the match, and Djokovic looked like a broken man by the end.

Djoker is known as one of the greatest service returners ever, but in this match Federer battered him deep. He forced Djokovic to take deep groundstrokes and neutralized much of his power. 

If Djokovic wants to win the US Open in August he will need to make a few adjustments. Let's take a look at what must happen.

Capitalize on the easy points

Of course there's no such thing as an easy point in tennis, but Djokovic's talent gives him certain advantages most of the time. 

Djokovic had a crucial double-fault in the sixth game of the third set, and he missed an easy overhead shot in the final set. Those were just the two that stuck out.

He wasn't on his game. Each shot, even the easy ones, seemed to be off just a bit. If he wants to repeat as US Open champion this simply can't happen. 

Djokovic didn't become the world's No. 1 talent by giving away points. Beating the best players in the world doesn't allow for it. This match against Federer was atypical of what we've come to expect from Djoker in his recent reign of dominance. 

Stay strong

Like I said earlier, Djokovic looked broken by the time the fourth set rolled around. He was despondent, lethargic and just seemed like he wanted to go home.

This key is probably obvious, but it's important nonetheless. 

Djokovic must keep his head up in future matches. This display was uncharacteristic of him, and it can't become a habit.

Maybe Djokovic expected to teach the "old dog" a few "new tricks" in this one. Maybe he thought his path was cleared to the Wimbledon final once Rafael Nadal was upset in the second round. He's been better than Federer as of late, and he may have thought this match was a win.

Obviously that wasn't the case, and Djokovic didn't know what to do. Federer had an answer for everything he threw his way.

In Djokovic's big matches in August he must stay focused and headstrong no matter what the opponent is doing. His only responsibility is to play his game.

Leave the past in the past

Djokovic lost to the second-best grass court player in tennis history on Saturday. You could argue Federer is No. 1 because of the competition he's faced in his career as opposed to Pete Sampras (who had no real rival for a large part of his career).

This isn't something to be disappointed about. No loss is fun, but he ran into a machine on Saturday. Djokovic must forget this match the second he's done dissecting the film. Take your adjustments, plan accordingly and forget the outcome of this semifinal disappointment.

Baseball managers tell their relief pitchers the same thing. It seems funny to tell world-class athletes to forget a disappointment, but they're human too. Like a bullpen pitcher, Djokovic must have a short-term memory.

This wasn't his best match by any stretch of the imagination. If he wants to avoid a trend, Djokovic will forget this match and move onto August's competition.