Novak Djokovic knew he would haveto play his best to defeat Matteo Berrettini in a tricky first-round clash at the ATP500 event in Doha. The 24-time Major winner did not play badly, but his rival outplayed him and scored a 7-6, 6-2 victory in an hour and 33 minutes.
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Thus, Berrettini ousted Djokovic for the first time in five encounters. Novak praised his rival while avoiding excuses, admitting he felt physically fine. The veteran played his first match since retiring in the Australian Open semi-final due to a hamstring injury.
However, the Serb did not want to take anything away from the Italian. HeemphasizedMatteo's skills and determination and accepted the defeat with grace.
The greatest hard-court player of all time experienced his earliest loss on his beloved surface since Miami 2018! Novak fought well in the opener, reaching a tie break but dropping it 7-4. Hungry for high-profile wins after numerous setbacks, Berrettini gained a massive boost.
The Italian broke the Serb two times in the second set and provided his first victory over the legend in five encounters. Matteo claimed ten points more than Novak and made the difference behind the second serve. The lower-ranked player lost 15 points in his games.
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He saved all three break points in the only troubled game and stole Djokovic's serve two times in the second set to emerge at the top in style. Novak landed 21 winners and 18 unforced errors. It would have been enough to beat someone else, but not Matteo.
Berrettini fired 33 direct points and 23 mistakes, hitting with full power and going for his shots. The Italian landed 14 service winners more than the Serb, makingthe difference in that segment and notching his first top-10 victory in over two years.
"I did not feel any pain or discomfort. A better rival outplayed me. I could not reach my desired level, and I still struggle to move the way I want following an injury. However, I played without pain, and there are no excuses. Matteo was the better player.
He played a masterclass match tactically and served very well. He completely deserved to beat me tonight," Novak Djokovic said.
