LONDON -- Novak Djokovic certainly seems wound up at the moment and he gave another clear indication of his mindset with an outburst at the chair umpire Thursday.He became angered after chair umpire Fergus Murphy gave him a time violation for taking too long between points in the fourth game of his 6-1, 6-2 win against David Goffin at the Tour Finals. Milos Raonic later beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the evening session to join Djokovic in the semifinals.But the world No. 2 was perplexed that he hadnt been given a soft warning first. Can you explain why you didnt tell me before? Djokovic said at the next changeover, explaining it was the first time he had gone over the allotted 25 seconds.On the point in question, the Serb had taken 31 seconds to serve following a long rally that was ended by exquisite lobbed winner from Goffin, which had drawn a thumbs-up from Djokovic. Thats the rule, he was told bluntly by Murphy, though.That tells me that you have no clue about the game, you have no clue about the game, Djokovic shot back.Murphy replied: Thats your view.Djokovic continued to plead his case in what became a heated exchange. He played an amazing point. I went to get my towel and you give me a warning right away, he said. You think thats fair?Yes, thats the way we enforce the rule and weve been doing that for two years, said the umpire.Djokovic then stood up from his chair and gestured behind his chair to supervisor Tom Barnes, pointing one finger in the air and saying one time repeatedly.He perhaps had a right to be annoyed. It was the first time in the match that Djokovic had strayed over the time limit between serves and a soft warning at the change of ends may have sufficed.He sought out Barnes for a chat after the match to clarify the rules. I just wanted to get his view on this, Djokovic told a post-match news conference.First of all, I accept and I know that Im one of the players that takes the most time. There is no doubt. Im not running away from that.Every time that Im late, if I get a so-called soft warning or pre-warning, Ill accept it and I wont say a word. But I think its fair, correct and respectful towards the player and to the game if you go over the first time, lets say, over the limit, that you at least get a heads up.Thats all Im asking for, to be honest. Im not the only one who has that kind of mindset and perspective and opinion about this.I know that the rules are strict, you have to follow. But there should be a kind of a feel, a sense for the game. It was the fourth game of the match, after a long point, the first time I went over, a few seconds, he gives me a warning. I didnt think that was supported by the right facts. Thats why I wanted to have a conversation and understand why it was as it was.In the grand scheme of things, it did not matter at all. There was no fine for Djokovic, and he did not lose a point. Whats more, his position as group winner and his place in the semifinals was already safe and this was essentially a dead rubber.No stress at all, why stress? Djokovic said on court post-match. We come here to play, to enjoy. This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Im just having fun on the court.But he was more forthright in his news conference about the pressure he is under.I mean, look, you know, were all humans, he said. Every single day we face some certain kind of challenges, mental challenges, on everyday basis, private, professional life, emotions, thoughts.Its normal, especially if you compete on the highest level in professional sport, that you have maybe more of that hype and emotions and adrenaline going through your body. Its very important always to kind of know how to filter all of that, how to channel it in a positive direction.Certainly there are stages of the year or of the day, moments when you feel worse, and you feel better. The important thing is to be conscious of it and just deal with it in a best possible way that works for you.Djokovic will have known not to take Goffin lightly. The last time an alternate won a match at the Tour Finals, Djokovic was on the other side of the net, beaten 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 by countryman Janko Tipsarevic and eliminated from the tournament.Tipsarevic had joked after that match that Djokovic might then cancel their planned post-season holiday together.Here on Thursday, the 12-time Grand Slam winner managed to shake off the time violation incident to record a blowout victory. He took the first set in just 36 minutes and the second even quicker in 33 minutes.I was trying to put myself in the right state of mind regardless of who was at the net, said Djokovic, whose scheduled opponent Gael Monfils withdrew from the tournament with a rib injury Wednesday night.I felt the most comfortable today from all the three matches, and I felt I increased the quality of the tennis. Its not easy for him to come out, I think, to play. He didnt play his best.The umpire incident aside, it was the perfect afternoon for Djokovic -- he didnt drop his serve, and will have conserved his energy for the weekend.He now has a day off, while Andy Murray -- whom he is battling with to finish as year-end No. 1 -- faces a potential run of three matches in three days, should the Scot reach the final in what could be a straight shootout between the two to finish top of the rankings.If Murray takes a set off Stan Wawrinka, win or lose, in his final round robin match then he will face Raonic, the man he beat in the Wimbledon final.Ive played Andy many times this year, said Raonic, who is 6-0 against the Scot in 2016. I havent gotten the better of him. Hes been playing well. Hes been playing a lot of matches.I think the one thing that I might have is how much he has really on his shoulders right now, a lot of consecutive matches, and as well what hes playing for. 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Custom Vikings Jerseys . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Australian crickets story is littered with crucible moments; times when the national team has either stood up or flaked out. In the moment, these instances may not seem that important, only gaining resonance through what happens afterwards. Other moments stand out like beacons almost from the second they take place. Whatever is decided at levels above, whatever reviews or appointments take place, the fate rests ultimately with the players.The third dull, wintry day in Hobart felt like one such day and the next two to follow are no less important. Australia are so far behind South Africa they have only slim hope of getting out of Bellerive without a match and series defeat, but it is vital that they show evidence of improvement. The jobs of many, from the chief executive James Sutherland down to the debutant Callum Ferguson, are on the line.How much hinges on all this? Remember the words of the coach Darren Lehmann after Australia were bundled out for 85 on day one. Asked about the future, he did not want to think about the consequences of a hiding. Ill probably tell you in a few days, he said. Hopefully we fight back really well and the future is bright. We know weve got to get better in a lot of areas, weve always said that. Even four Tests ago when we were No.1. Now were way away from that.Each of the past five Australian captains have met moments of similar weight - of both the winning and losing varieties. For Allan Border, perhaps the most resonant was day one of the 1989 Ashes series at Headingley, when he came out to bat after a pair of early wickets on an overcast day and played an innings so brazen it included one six cut hard over backward point - back in the day when that shot was almost unheard of. Sixteen years of Ashes dominance were forged that morning.Border experienced the other side towards the end of his career, when he and his team were unable to take a chance to defeat West Indies in a series for the first time in 17 years. A chase of 186 to win in Adelaide was left too much in the hands of the tail, leaving Australia one run short of victory, and Border to hurl his worry ball so hard into the dressing room floor that it rebounded to strike the ceiling.For Mark Taylor, a personal turning point did not dovetail with team success, but foreshadowed it. By the time of the second innings of the first Ashes Test in 1997, he had gone 19 innings without passing 50, and a previously happy and dominant team were feeling the strain. Rolled by Darren Gough and Andy Caddick, then clattered to all parts of Edgbaston by Graham Thorpe and Nasser Hussain, Australia started their second innings 360 runs behind.Without a hundred, Taylors captaincy would have been at an end, and in the early overs the tension was close to unbearable. But in the company of Matthew Elliott and Greg Blewett, he carved out an ugly hundred, adding respectability to the scoreboard and allowing the team enough breathing space to regroup and ultimately win the series. Taylor led the team for another two years.Again in England, Steve Waughs captaincy came under enormous pressure during the 1999 World Cup, following on from a surprising 2-2 Test series draw against West Indies in the Caribbean. The team was not happy, Waugh and Shane Warne butting heads, and losses to New Zealand and Pakistan left the team needing to win each of their last seven matches of the tournament or face elimination at every stage. Waughs response, mosst pointedly in a pair of nail-biters over South Africa, was to make critical runs.ddddddddddddWarne, by now toying with retirement, overcame doubts about a shoulder still regaining strength after surgery to rip the ball in his former fashion. The World Cup was won, and Waugh stayed on as leader until 2004. Despite a winning record overall, Ricky Pontings leadership is remembered most for a pair of Ashes defeats. The first in 2005 was said to have swung on Glenn McGraths injured ankle, but Pontings call to send England in even after he knew he would be without his best pace bowler proved much the more fateful juncture, leading ultimately to the loss of the urn for the first time since Borders 1989 redemption.Move ahead to 2010-11, and a home Ashes series now viewed as one sided may actually have pivoted on the loss of two wickets either side of the first drinks on Boxing Day. Phillip Hughes and Ponting were prospering well enough in front of a mighty crowd when the former skewed Tim Bresnan to point, before next over the captain snicked Chris Tremlett into the slips. The former coach Tim Nielsen still gnashes his teeth about that one and all the ignominy to follow - it proved to be Pontings last Test as captain.Michael Clarkes leadership tale always teetered between triumph and disaster with little in between. The pivotal point leading to the former came when Mitchell Johnson took the ball just before lunch on day two of the first 2013-14 Ashes Test at the Gabba, worrying out Jonathan Trott as per team plans and sending momentum flooding to Australia. The latter, perhaps harder to isolate, was arguably the second afternoon of the Cardiff Test in 2015, when a series of squandered starts sentenced Australia to an opening defeat in a series they would never lead. Clarke, fighting his own inner battles, was en route to retirement from that moment.So it is that Steven Smiths men find themselves in the crucible at Bellerive. They enjoyed a far better day on Monday than Saturday, even if Quinton de Kocks impersonation of Adam Gilchrist gathered impressive depth. The batting spine shown by Smith and Usman Khawaja, in particular, demonstrated a level of self-knowledge about where this team now stands after four consecutive losses and the distinct prospect of a fifth. The heaviness of expectation was not lost on Josh Hazlewood.Extremely important I think, he said. Everyone knows we need to improve and improve quickly. We talk amongst ourselves and everyone knows we need to improve. So I think its about everyone individually doing what they can on or off the field, and important to do it as a group as well. Hopefully it happens on the field. Were obviously a pretty tight group, we play a lot of cricket together and were on the road together a lot. Everyone gets along fantastically on and off the field, but nows an important time to stick together and even be tighter.Australian cricket has never been richer or better resourced. The national teams players have n