Novak Djokovic’s domination every time he steps on a fast surfacewhether hard or grass, is light years away from the performance it offers when it lands on clay.
Never mind that he has had more time to train on clay as a result of his absence from Indian Wells and Miami. His version is very reminiscent of last year’s at this point and that it did not help him to stand up to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
After winning his first match in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 with many doubts against the unknown Ivan Gakhov, the Serbian has knelt this Thursday in the round of 16 against Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 7-5 and 6-4, in 2 hours and 54 minutes.
To find the last time he was among the top eight in the Monegasque tournament, you have to go back to the 2019 edition. He later lost to the Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Novak, who came out to play with a cumbersome elbow pad, he lost his serve up to eight times, too many times to win any duel and any rival.
He saved three elimination points in the tenth game of the tiebreaker sleeve. He couldn’t with the fourth when he crashed a backhand against the net. Musetti scored the most important victory of his career against an opponent with whom he had conceded in the previous three. He had won four ‘top10’, but never an ATP leader.
The rain interrupted the game with 1-1 in the tiebreaker sleeve and after Djokovic argued with the chair umpire over a questionable ball.
Djokovic despairs with the chair umpire for a mistake, they whistle at him… and he bursts a racket!
It seemed that the break would favor ‘Nole’ but it was not like that. His executioner, supported by the stands, He endured the advantage ‘break’ to ensure the presence of an Italian in the semifinals. And it is that tomorrow he will see them in the rooms with his compatriot Jannik Sinner.
Fight for world leadership
The Banja Luka Open 250 appears next week on the road map of the world number one. At the moment, he has not taken advantage of the absence of Carlos Alcaraz in Monte Carlo to increase his advantage at the top of the ranking. The difference between the two is 470 points.
‘Nole’ has to defend 150 points from the Belgrade 2022 final. Alcaraz will not be able to add in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell as defender of the crown. Whatever happens, the race is still open to know who will be the first favorite in the land of Paris.
