Novak Djokovic he fit his first defeat of the season and the first in Australia in six years with a resounding 6-4 6-4 ante Alex de Miñaurwhich on Wednesday gave Australia a 1-0 lead over Serbia in their United Cup quarterfinal match.
Djokovic was affected by a right wrist problem in the victory of Serbia on Czech Republic this same Tuesday, and the number one in the world had to be attended to again by a trainer before De Minaur got a break in the last minutes and the first set was won.
“The more I play, the more it hurts.”
Novak Djokovic, feeling pain in the right wrist, during his match against De Minaur
Should we worry about the Australian Open? pic.twitter.com/ZeXOA7Z1wH
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) January 3, 2024
Australian Open champion Djokovic dropped serve once again to give De Minaur a 4-3 lead in the second set and saved three match points later, but could not avoid the surprising defeat before the first Grand Slam of the year at the end of this month.
Djokovic had a streak of 43 consecutive victories in Australia and was preparing to win its eleventh title in Melbourne Parkafter having lost for the last time in the country against Chung Hyeon in the fourth round of the 2018 edition, when he was affected by an elbow problem.
“It’s extremely special,” said the world number 12 From Miñaur after the biggest victory of his career. «Novak is an incredible competitor and what he has done for this sport is very special. “It’s surreal, it’s incredible and I’m happy to be doing it here in Perth and in Australia.”
«Ultimately, when you face Novak, you just have to go out there, try to enjoy yourself, lean on yourself and, no matter what happens, keep fighting until the end. Today was my day. I am happy to have achieved the victory. “This means a lot,” De Minaur concluded.
2024-01-03 11:38:21
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