Painful return for Djokovic: first match in Monte Carlo direct final station | Tennis

sport">In the first set, 22-year-old Spaniard Djokovic quickly broke twice and took a 4-1 lead. The Serb managed to come back to 3-4, but gave in again at the end of the first set and Fokina made good use of that: 6-3.

sport">In the second act, the Spaniard seemed to push through. He immediately broke his opponent and led 3-0. Djokovic refused to throw in the towel, however, and trailing 2-4 he won three games in a row and suddenly faced a 5-4 lead. The Serb was allowed to serve for the second set, but saw Fokina come alongside. A tiebreak ultimately had to decide who would claim the second set.

Tiebreak

sport">With a score of 5-5 in that tiebreak, Fokina hit the ball completely wrong, so that Djokovic was only one point away from winning the set. In the rally that followed, the Serb showed why he is still the number one in the world. With a brilliant point he took the second company: 7-6.

sport">Also in the third set, Djokovic had to chase again. Fokina immediately broke through the Serb’s service and took a 5-1 lead after another break. The fantastic playing Fokina did not relinquish that lead. In fact, with a third break, Fokina ended the match: 3-6, 7-6, 1-6.

Disappointment

sport">“It’s disappointing to lose a game and feel that way on the track,” Djokovic said afterwards. “But it doesn’t stop here. I’ll keep working and hopefully I’ll come to Roland Garros in my best shape, that’s my big goal in the clay-court season. I knew it would be a while before I reach my best level on clay. I never played well in the opening tournaments of the clay-court season.”

sport">Davidovich Fokina celebrated the most beautiful victory of his career. “I’m a big fan of Djokovic,” he said. “I try to watch all his matches. How nice is it then that I have beaten him here in front of full stands? †

Difficult period

sport">Just before the tournament, 34-year-old Djokovic said that he had suffered a lot in recent months from missing many tournaments. The Serb has not been vaccinated against the coronavirus and was therefore not welcome in many places.

sport">He missed the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year, and only played in Dubai in the first three months. “I hope I won’t be on six games in six months,” Djokovic said of his only three games so far this year, in February in Dubai. “The last three to four months have been really hard for me, mentally and emotionally. This is something I have never experienced.”

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