12/03/2024 17:32hs.
Novak Djokovic He seems invincible, but on his return to Indian Wells he showed that he is not. The Serbian, who had just debuted in the second round of the Masters 1000 in the United States, fell surprisingly against the Italian Luca Nardi, 123rd in the rankingwho took home a memory that will last a lifetime after advancing to the round of 16 against the world number 1.
It was a 2h22m battle in which the Italian took the victory by 6-4, 3-6 y 6-3. After the defeat, the Serbian explained the reason for the fall: “I’m playing fewer tournaments and I’m being more selective with my schedule. I wanted to do well, but it couldn’t be and we have to continue.”
Nole left calmly.
“I was surprised with my level, it was very bad, I had terrible unforced errors. That’s how it is, the two things came together. “He had a good day and I had a bad day and it was a bad result for me,” he added on his return to the competition since 2019 after remaining in the semis of the Australian Open.
I had terrible unforced errors.
In his defeat against the opponent with the lowest ranking of his career in a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam, Djokovic analyzed what lies ahead for him at 36 years old: “At the moment Miami is still on my calendar, we will see. “I need a day or two of rest and then I’ll see what I do.”
Regarding the Italian, the native of Belgrade recognized his rival: “I congratulate him, particularly because of the great tennis in the third set. “I didn’t know much about him, but I saw him play and I knew that he has great quality tennis.”
First defeat vs. a lucky loser for Djokovic.
“It’s not something I’m used to. Most of my career started with a win at a Grand Slam or another tournament. No problem, it’s part of the sport. You have to accept it,” Novak calmly admitted.
From entering as a lucky loser to beating his idol
At the age of 20, Nardi managed to fulfill his dream of playing against his idol, and after achieving the feat, he confessed: “It is a miracle, I’m a 20-year-old boy, number 100 in the world, and I just beat Novak. Before tonight no one knew me, I don’t know how I stayed calm.”
Nardi couldn’t believe it.
“Still I have a poster of him In my piece. Every night I go to bed I see Novak. Djokovic is the best player in history. “I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life,” added the winner of just five ATP matches.
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