Novak Djokovic Suffers Shock Defeat at Australian Open
Defending Champion Falls to Unseeded Opponent
Disappointment for Djokovic as Grand Slam Hopes Dashed
Melbourne, Australia - In a stunning upset, defending champion Novak Djokovic has crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round, losing in five sets to unseeded Uzbekistani Denis Istomin. It was a remarkable victory for Istomin, who had never previously taken a set off Djokovic in four previous meetings.
Djokovic, the world number two, was bidding to win his seventh Australian Open title and move within one of Roger Federer's all-time record of 18 Grand Slams. However, he struggled to find his rhythm throughout the match, making uncharacteristic errors and failing to convert break points.
Istomin, ranked 117th in the world, played aggressively from the start, hitting deep groundstrokes and keeping Djokovic on the back foot. He broke Djokovic twice in the first set and served for the set at 5-4, but Djokovic broke back to force a tiebreaker. Istomin won the tiebreaker 7-5 and took the first set.
Djokovic responded well, winning the second set 8-6 to level the match. He also took the third set 7-5, but Istomin refused to give up and broke Djokovic twice in the fourth set to take it 6-2.
In the deciding set, Istomin broke Djokovic early and held on to serve out the match, winning 6-2 and sending shockwaves through the tennis world. It was Djokovic's first defeat in the Australian Open since 2014 and his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2009 French Open.
The defeat will be a major disappointment for Djokovic, who had been in excellent form leading up to the tournament. He will now have to regroup and prepare for the upcoming clay-court season, where he will be aiming to win a record-equalling 11th French Open title.
Komentar