Nole, on the court after the bottle incident, stops in two sets 6-2 6-3 closing with a shocking double fault
The Italian Internationals lose the world number 1. Sensational at the Foro Italico. Novak Djokovic stops in the third round against Alejandro Tabilo, number 32 in the world, in a match that slipped away too quickly to avoid creating some suspicion about the Serbian’s condition: 6-2 6-3 in just over an hour in favor of Chilean player (born in Canada), treacherous left-handed on clay, especially good at taking advantage of The Djoker’s bad day, who therefore has to postpone his appointment with the first title of this anomalous 2024.
SHOCK DEFEAT
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After the public’s tribute to Rafael Nadal at the Foro Italico on Saturday, on Sunday it was Djokovic’s turn to leave the Italian Internationals. The beauty of 16 titles (10 for the Spaniard, six for the Serbian) that escape from the capital in the space of a few hours: if Rafa’s defeat against Hubi Hurkacz was to be taken into account, Nole’s is an absolute surprise. The feeling was that Djokovic was the main candidate to win the title, but evidently the number 1 in the ranking – fresh from the accident with the water bottle on his head after the success against Corentin Moutet – has yet to find the best condition: this season he has not not even played one final and suffered surprising defeats, as with Luca Nardi at Indian Wells. Tabilo, for his part, gained the greatest satisfaction of his career: he had never beaten a top-10 player and will play the round of 16 in a Masters-1000 for the first time.
TABILO DOMAIN
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A one-sided match on the central Foro Italico, warmed by a scorching but warm sun in the stands: the surprise effect hit the mark. The spectators who turned out en masse to watch Djokovic’s match were almost incredulous. The start is shocking: Nole loses the first four games of the match, Tabilo wins the first set 6-2. When he is serving, between one point and another he is in a hurry: he is restless, as if he doesn’t want to spend too much time on the court. He tries to shorten rallies with serve and volleys and bunts. The problem is that the usual shock does not arrive after the first set lost, on the contrary: Djokovic starts with a handicap in the second too, with an immediate break for Tabilo. The Chilean has the merit of not giving any openings to the Serbian, who never has the opportunity to get back into the match: zero break points throughout the match, complete with a double fault to end the match. Nole bid farewell to Rome with much affection from the public, a match won, the water bottle incident on the head and a surprise defeat. Yet another of an anomalous season.
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