05/12/24 09:46:00
Printable Page
05/12 09:44 CDT Djokovic follows Nadal with early exit at Italian Open with
6-2, 6-3 loss to Tabilo
Djokovic follows Nadal with early exit at Italian Open with 6-2, 6-3 loss to
Tabilo
ROME (AP) --- Novak Djokovic put on one of his worst performances at one of his
favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the
third round of the Italian Open on Sunday.
It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by
a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win on Friday.
Djokovic started off with a double-fault and it didn't get much better for the
six-time Rome champion.
The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service games and went on to lose
the match 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes, handing Tabilo the victory when he
double-faulted -- his fifth of the match -- and the boos rang out at the Foro
Italico.
The third-round loss marked Djokovic's worst performance at the Italian Open.
He had lost only once before to an opponent outside the top 10 at Rome, where
he had never gone out before the quarterfinals.
Djokovic followed Nadal with an early exit after the record 10-time Rome
champion lost his third round match to Hubert Hurkacz 6-1, 6-3 on Saturday.
While Djokovic had said he was "fine" after the water bottle incident, it was
an unusually off-key performance from the 24-time Grand Slam champion as he
tries to step up his game on clay before attempting to defend his title at the
French Open, which starts on May 26.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
|
