Novak Djokovic perhaps said goodbye earlier than planned last week from the Vienna tournament. The world number one fell by a resounding 6-2 and 6-1 in the quarterfinals against the Italian repechage from the previous Lorenzo Sonego, who was ultimately a finalist (he lost the title against Rublev). The Serbian only needed two victories to close 2020 as world number one and achieve that milestone for the sixth time in his career to equal the record of the legendary Pete Sampras and achieved them against Krajinovic and Coric. When he lost to Sonego he said that he had gotten what he needed in the tournament: “I did what I had to do and so I came here. I keep going and have no problem with the result. I look to the next chapter.”
The Erste Open director and Dominic Thiem manager Herwig Straka did not like this phrase: “I find these statements unnecessary. Even if you believe it, it is not something that should be said at any press conference”, explained the leader to the Austrian media Der Standar, who before the start of the competition had been enthusiastic about the presence of the Balkan, and even went so far as to say that he had the opportunity to add “500 free points”. Straka had already attacked at least once for his Adria Tour, in which Thiem participated: “Everyone knows it was stupid and no public apology helps. The only one who has to apologize is Djokovic because he organized everything. The other players were there, they didn't kill anyone “
The fact is the one that Djokovic tried to excuse in that press conference his disappointing performance. Nole recognized that he went out on the track very affected by the death of Amfilohije Radovic last Friday, metropolitan of Montenegro and the Litoral and a very representative figure in the Serbian Orthodox Church. “To be honest, I didn't feel like playing. This sad news had a negative effect on me, but not to the limit of not being able to play, “he said, words that did not convince Straka.