Novak Djokovic’s efforts to defend his US Open title have come to an end. In the match on Friday (30/8) or Saturday morning WIB, the Serbian tennis player was eliminated from the tournament by 25-year-old Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
World number 28 Popyrin notched the biggest win of his life over the greatest player of all time. In a battle of nearly three and a half hours, Popyrin kept the second seed on the back foot from the start and did not give up easily.
Djokovic didn’t just look bad. He also looked physically weak. He kept hitting long shots, slices, and drop shots into the net, and recorded seven unforced errors in the first set.
At 2-3 in the set, Djokovic squandered four break points, unable to fight Popyrin’s control at the net. At 4-4, Popyrin finally found his break when Djokovic made an error. backhandgiving the Australian the opportunity he has been waiting for and working towards.
The second set was no different. Popyrin remained dominant. But Djokovic, as the champion, did not give up so easily. He came back in the third set, dropping only two games and giving himself a glimmer of hope to escape the pressure.
But Popyrin outplayed him in the fourth set, converting two break points to lead 5-2. In the final game, Popyrin made no mistake and after his 15th ace set up a match point, he closed out Djokovic.
Read also: Djokovic Determined to Defend US Open Title
“Honestly, we had some battles in the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I had chances in those matches but didn’t take them. This match was a little bit different. I was able to take my chances when I had them,” Popyrin was quoted as saying by the tournament’s official website.
Djokovic admitted to being disappointed with his performance. “He definitely played better and deserved to win today. Honestly, my serve was the worst so far. Yeah, it was a bad match for me.” (M-3)
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