Dusan Lajovic defeats Novak Djokovic. For the second consecutive tournament on clay, Djokovic gets bounced before the semifinals. Losing to Lorenzo Musetti was not such a shocker, because the Italian previously had him on the ropes. In Roland Garros 2021, in the round of sixteen, Musetti led 2:0 sets before he choked and allowed Djokovic to escape. This loss is a shocker.
Novak Djokovic Loses To Dusan Lajovic
In two previous encounters, Djokovic lost a total of four games to Dusan Lajovic. The fact that Lajovic has been struggling to find a consistent game is a testament to how much Djokovic is off his game. With Roger Federer retired, Andy Murray barely moving, and Rafael Nadal injured, it can be said that the era of the big four is officially done. We know that Djokovic will bounce back; however, with the French Open around the corner, players are taking note. Many will believe that they too now have a better chance of defeating the Serbian.
Embed from Getty ImagesLower Raked Players Enjoy The Challenge
There is no doubt that Djokovic’s loss to Musetti in Monaco inspired Lajovic to believe he could defeat his countryman. Currently ranked number seventy, this victory gives Lajovic a much-needed boost in his confidence. At thirty-two years old, time is also running out for him. Thus, he would love to ride this 6-4, 7-6(6) victory to a trophy. Hopefully he will show up fully focused and ready to compete in the semifinals. His opponent is yet to be determined.
Gutsy Performance From Dusan Lajovic
In the first set, Djokovic had eleven chances to break his opponent. He converted once; yet he was broken twice to lose the first set. He did a much better job in the second set, and interestingly so did his opponent. They each had five break points and neither converted; therefore, the set was forced to a tiebreaker. No doubt everyone thought that Djokovic would pull off the comeback victory, but Lajovic had other plans.
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