Novak Djokovic was defeated in a three-set thriller last night, sadly overcome by Jan-Lennard Struff in the Basel Open quarter-finals.
It was a match that went just as many predicted, with the big-serving German faultless throughout on serve.
However, when the 39-year-old snatched the first set on a tiebreak, it felt like he might be able to overcome such frustrating adversity.
Struff’s fight back was impressive, and it took just one break in the second set to level the match, before a third-set tiebreak was needed to separate the players.
Novak Djokovic could not break his opponent’s serve once all match, and he gave a rather open and emotional reaction immediately afterwards.
Novak Djokovic’s reaction after losing to Jan-Lennard Struff in Basel
In comments compiled by Sportal, given by the Serbian straight after the match, he was first asked whether the three double faults at the end of the second set proved pivotal.
Djokovic argued: “No, I don’t think those three double service faults were the deciding factor. I think it’s just that in the decisive moments, when I had break points, many times in the second and also at the beginning of the third set, he played some incredible shots and incredible points.
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“Maybe there were one or two points where I could have been more aggressive, but all credit goes to him.”
He was keen to praise Struff further, adding: “It hurts that I lost, you know, he just played amazing tennis. I don’t remember playing against someone who was this aggressive and this precise. He went with two first serves, and it was just one of those matches.”
Then, asked about the Paris Masters, where he will have to reach at least the semi-finals to even have a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals, Djokovic admitted: “I’ve only just come off the court, so I’m still disappointed, but I’ll be thinking about Paris in the next few days, and hopefully I can play better there.”
Djokovic had been given a big ATP Finals boost just days ago. It’s a shame that he couldn’t take full advantage.
The problem Novak Djokovic has right now
Once upon a time, Djokovic was so dominant that players were beaten before they had even stepped onto the court against him.
And so, when they did, it was easy for the 24-time Grand Slam champion to dismantle an already downtrodden opponent, especially given his reputation was more than justified. Nobody could get near him.
However, nowadays, that air of invincibility has sadly vanished.
This year, seven different players have all claimed their first-ever wins over Djokovic, including both Struff and Hubert Hurkacz snapping eight-match losing streaks.
Players now rise to the occasion of playing Djokovic and summon their very best tennis. He no longer has the energy to regularly rise to this level.
That is why Ugo Humbert, who had won just two of his last six matches, managed to push him into a third set.
