Novak Djokovic return this year to Indian Wells Masters 1000, where he hasn’t played since 2019, but he hasn’t changed his trend from the previous seasons in which he played the tournament. Champion in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016, since his last the title did not reach the quarterfinals, of those three editions played between 2017 and 2019.
When he returned to the box, he couldn’t do it either. The world number 1 became the star in the early hours of this Monday to Tuesday of the big bomb of the tournament. give up third round against the Italian boy Luca Nardiwho defeated him 6-4, 3-6 and 6-3.
Nardi is 123rd in the ATP rankinga young Italian player of only twenty years of age who had to play in the qualifying round, where he lost against David Goffin, and entered the draw as ‘lucky loser’. It was in the first round that he sprung a surprise against the surging Zhizhen Zhang, although nothing compared to what he experienced on Monday against Djokovic.
Nardi, a self-proclaimed admirer of the Serbian player, is fulfilling a dream by facing his idol. But was a step away after taking advantage of the concessions of an inaccurate Djokovic to others, one of its great assets, and very unreliable in its secondary service. In contrast to Italian, aggressive from belowwith 34 winners (double his rival’s total) and 19 unforced errors for the balance sheet.
Nothing to lose, in short, a brave Nardi had from the beginning, dominating from his service games to the point of not conceding a single break in the first set. He waited for his chance, which came in the fifth game: he took it, firmly, going for a first set he won 6-4.
Djokovic was forced to react and he did, even with doubts. As the Serbian broke Nardi’s serve at the start, but gave up five break points in the next game that ended up costing him a counter-break in the most surreal way: in a close game with one point where ‘Nole’ was left standing. because he thought he was not serving well. Djokovic lifted the rest as he advanced through the set and, after failing to take advantage of two balls to tie the match in the eighth game, eventually sealed the 6-3 that sent the match to the third set.
But Djokovic’s doubts resurfaced. The Serbian saved three break points in his first service game, but conceded a fatal 0-40 in the sixth game of the set: Nardi broke, went 4-2 and, with nerves of steel, did not hesitate to sign the victory of his life.
Because it not only allows the number 1 in the world to win, but also opened the doors of the Italian top100 for the first time. He will appear here next Monday, but before that a date awaits him in the round of 16 in Indian Wells against Tommy Paul Ugo Humbert’s executioner for the double 6-4. Meanwhile, Djokovic bid an early farewell to a tournament where he returned and where he dominated in the past, but where for one reason or another resisted him from that victory eight years ago.
Source: La Verdad
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