Djokovic kinapos, natalo sa Monte Carlo
Nabigo si Novak Djokovic sa kaniyang opening match sa Monte Carlo Masters nitong Martes (Miyerkoles sa Maynila), sa ikalawa pa lamang niyang torneo ngayong taon dahil na rin sa pagtangging magpabakuna laban sa COVID-19, at sinabing “I ran out of gas.”
Ang World No. 1 ay dinaig ng 46th-ranked Spaniard na si Alejandridovich Fokina sa score na 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 sa ikalawang round, matapos siyam na ulit i-drop ang kaniyang serve.
Ayon kay Djokovic na naglaro rin sa Dubai noong Pebrero na umabot lang ng three matches . . . “I was hanging on the ropes the entire match. I was really chasing the result constantly. I didn’t like the way I felt physically in the third (set). I just ran out of gas completely. Just couldn’t really stay in the rally with him. If you can’t stay in the rally, not feeling your legs on the clay, it’s mission impossible.”
Inamin ni Djokovic na ang hindi niya paglahok sa karamihan ng events ay naging mahirap para sa kaniya “mentally at emotionally,” pero sinabing tuloy-tuloy na ang kaniyang pagbabalik sa torneyong napanalunan niya noong 2013 at 2015.
Si Davidovich Fokina ay kapwa natalo sa una nilang paghaharap ni Djokovic sa Rome at sa Tokyo Olympics sa nakaraang season.
Sinabi pa ni Djokivic .. . “I always believed that I could come back and win the match, and I stayed there even though a lot of things were against me in terms of how I felt on the court. Game-wise, physically I was just far from my best. Of course in those types of conditions and circumstances, then you have to really work two times more than you normally would. I expected this match to be a really tough match, a physical battle, and that’s what it was. Unfortunately I’m on the shorter end of the stick, and my week ends here.”
Ito ang unang pagkakataon na nabigo si Djokovic sa kaniyang opening match sa isang tournament, mula nang matalo kay Martin Klizan sa Barcelona apat na taon na ang nakalilipas. Hanggang quarter-finals lang din ang nararating niya sa Monte Carlo mula noong 2015.
Aniya . . . “I knew a few days ago when I spoke to you that it’s going to take some time for me to really feel my best on the clay. That’s historically always been the case. I have never played very well in the opening tournaments of the clay season. But it’s okay. Obviously it is what it is. I have to accept the defeat and keep working.”
Samantala, sunod na makakaharap ni Davidovich Fokina, na quarter-finalist sa Monte Carlo noong isang taon, si David Goffin o Dan Evans para makapuwesto sa huling walo.
Nakalampas naman sa huling 16 ang defending champion na si Stefanos Tsitsipas, sa pamamagitan ng 6-3, 6-0 victory laban kay Fabio Fognini, na siyang nakakuha sa titulo noong 2019.
