April 21, (THEWILL) – In a shock upset at the Banja Luka Open in Bosnia, Novak Djokovic crashed out of the tournament after suffering a 6-4 7-6(8-6) defeat at the hands of fellow Serb, Dusan Lajovic.
Djokovic had complained of a struggling right elbow earlier in the week, but he definitely boasted a far more impressive pedigree than his opponent on Friday. However, on account of the state of play during their match, it did not look the case at times.
The two 30-year-olds were well matched, and Lajovic was able to move 5-4 ahead with two break points to his older opponent’s one, giving him the chance to serve for the first set, which he duly took. Djokovic held his serve in the first game of the second set, and as he edged ahead, many would have expected another gritty comeback against injury and the odds.
However, the veteran was unable to get clear water between his rival, and he was dragged back to 6-6, leaving the pair set for a tie-break, with Djokovic needing to win just to stay in the match. Djokovic could only manage just one of the 16 break points he had earned along the way, showing a much less ruthless world number one than the one who has dominated the sport.
With Roland-Garros on the horizon, Djokovic will need to find better form elsewhere, with two defeats coming in his last three matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
