Novak Djokovic (38 years and four months old) did not give any more in the Rolex Masters 1,000 in Shanghai. After a week with victories and ailments, with good moments of tennis and multiple pains, the Serbian, number 5 in the ATP ranking, fell in the semifinals against the Monegasque Valentin Vacherot, 204th in the world.
The defeat (6-3 and 6-4) was not as painful as the persistent back problems that considerably reduced his mobility and therefore condemned him to lose. Vacherot, who came from the previous round, took advantage of the opportunity of his life and will play his first Masters 1,000 final
Injured in the leg and without too much energy, Nole held his own (3-3) until the seventh game of the first set. He had to call the physio to loosen his back. From then on, he seemed sluggish, his body language was that of an athlete suffering. Vacherot, who was playing well, took his chance to break and then take the set when Djokovic, very limited, threatened to retire.
A nightmare
The second set was a torment for Djokovic, a constant exercise in survival with no happy ending. He won the first game by relying on his great service and extraordinary determination. Vacherot sought to lengthen the points, and the torture for the tennis legend, more gesticulating than usual. A slight improvement put him ahead at the start (2-1) but Vacherot was firm, waiting for his moment
It was in the ninth game, which lasted almost seven minutes. Djokovic gave Vacherot wings with two consecutive double faults. The Monegasque took advantage of the first break point to take the lead in the set (4-5) while Nole took a long time to serve (to catch his breath) and complained again, almost always in lost points. Typical. The Monegasque did not fail with his powerful serve (over 200 km/h) to take a historic victory, against the king of world tennis, which earned him to play the first final of his life in an ATP tournament. He did not celebrate excessively, knowing that Djokovic was depleted. A champion’s gesture
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