MADRID, 12 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
The Spanish tennis player Alejandro Davidovich has eliminated Serbian Novak Djokovic on Tuesday in the round of 32 of the Masters 1,000 in Monte Carlo, third of the season, after beating the number one in the world in almost three hours of play.
Davidovich took the victory in a marathon clash thanks to 6-3, 6-7 (5) and 6-1 that gave him license to knock down Djokovic at the first change. The one from Belgrade, exempt in the first round as he was the top seed, was surprised by the eagerness of the player from Malaga on the Monegasque clay.
Davidovich, who had never beaten Nole in their previous clashes, knew how to take advantage of his moment after scoring the first set and put his rival on the ropes in a heart-stopping tie-break that forced the third and final round. It was then that Djokovic noticed his inactivity.
The number one in the world, expelled from Australia for not being vaccinated against the coronavirus, returned to the slopes in February (Dubai) and since then he had not competed on the American tour before clay. This Tuesday, with his four games in 2022, he said goodbye at the first change.
This is the third elimination of Djokovic in Monte Carlo in the first round after his debut and another in 2016. Davidovich now meets in the round of 16 with the winner of the clash between the Belgian David Goffin and the British Daniel Evans.
In addition, Pedro Martínez, also Spanish, qualified for the round of 32 after dismounting Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4 and 7-6(5) in his debut. His rival in the round of 16 will be the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, eleventh favorite on the clay of Monte Carlo.