Novak Djokovic was stunned 7-6(4), 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the Qatar Open first round on yesterday as the Matteo Berrettini of Italy enjoyed his first win over the former world champion.
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Matteo Berrettini played excellently to daze the two times champion in one hour 35 minutes and secure his first win against a top – 10 opposer since January 2023.
Former world number six Matteo Berrettini, who had already lost all four of his previous matches against the Serbian told ” It’s something that I have been looking to do,”
“I played against him in the most important tournaments on tour, had the honour and the pleasure to play against him. I wish I could have won one of those matches as well.”
Berrettini who is World number 35, voted the ATP’s comeback player last year, countenances Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the next round.
Due to a hamstring injury Djokovic,after retiring from the Australian Open semi-finals a 24-times Grand Slam winner who was aiming for a 100th ATP title, was playing his first single match.
Last week, the 37-year-old said he was “almost fully recovered”, had not lost a first-round match since his Monte Carlo Masters 2022 defeat by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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Djokovic told ” I didn’t have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was outplayed by just a better player today,”
“I was not at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move but I played without pain so there is no excuse in that.”
“Things are not the same as 10, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis and it’s more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances.”
Djokovic will now turn his attention to the doubles event, pairing up with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco versus Finn Harri Heliovaara and Henry Pattem of Britain in the quarter-finals.
