Novak Djokovic OUT of Australian Open: World No 2 suffers shock defeat to Denis Istomin
NOVAK DJOKOVIC has been knocked out out of the Australian Open in the second round after losing 7-6, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 to Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
By
James Gray
James Gray
EPA
Novak Djokovic was stunned by Dennis Istomin
Novak Djokovic has not failed to reach the third round of a major championship since 2008 when he was beaten in straight sets by unseeded Marat Safin.
By contrast, Istomin has not reached the third round of a Grand Slam since 2012 and with a first-ever place in the fourth round at stake he will face Pablo Carreno Busta.
EPA
Denis Istomin celebrated a massive shock against Novak Djokovic
EPA
Novak Djokovic has not failed to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open since 2006
The tone of the match was set in the very first game when Djokovic saved six break points before eventually holding to win a 16-minute game.
Istomin put the pressure back on losing just one point in his opening service game and the first set went his way on a tie-break after 1 hour 28 minutes.
The match time in all was just short of five hours but with nearly two-and-a-half gone it was only one set all, Istomin crucially losing his serve at 5-5 in the second.
And it looked as though the Uzbek's chances of upsetting the world No 2 were over when, struggling with cramp, he lost his serve three times in a row and went 2-1 down.
However, the world No 117 recovered to force a fourth-set tie-break which he eventually won despite spurning three set points.
And the crucial moment of the fifth came when Istomin converted the second break point of the fifth game, before serving out to take a famous victory over the Serb.
"I feel for Novak," Istomin said afterwards with a smile.
"I was playing so good today."
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