Novak Djokovic was shocked by Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2 3-6 6-1 within the second spherical of Indian Wells on Saturday because the Serbian suffered an early exit by the hands of a event fortunate loser for a second consecutive 12 months.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic received off to a horrid begin, hitting 14 unforced errors and being damaged twice within the first set.(REUTERS)
Djokovic fell to fortunate loser Luca Nardi of Italy within the California desert final 12 months and historical past repeated itself on Stadium One court docket a day after high seed Alexander Zverev additionally went out.
Twenty-four time Grand Slam champion Djokovic received off to a horrid begin, hitting 14 unforced errors and being damaged twice within the first set.
He regrouped to race out to a 3-0 lead within the second, leveling the competition with a mighty forehand winner and pumping his fist to the sold-out crowd.
However large killer van de Zandschulp ran away with the decider, breaking Djokovic for a fourth time by a superbly executed lob for a 3-1 lead and sealing the gorgeous upset when Djokovic’s shot went large on match level.
“I started really well and then of course Novak came back,” mentioned van de Zandschulp, who secured a berth to the event upon the withdrawal of forty seventh ranked Facundo Diaz Acosta.
“In the end and in the third set I was happy to get my level back.”
Van de Zandschulp was up a set and 3-0 on Nick Kyrgios in his first-round match on Stadium One on Thursday earlier than the Australian withdrew with wrist ache.
Djokovic, 37, retired from his Australian Open semi-final in opposition to Alexander Zverev with a hamstring damage and misplaced within the Qatar Open first spherical final month.
He mentioned the leg damage was behind him coming into the event and didn’t look hampered by it in his match of Saturday, the place he was accompanied by coach Andy Murray.
Djokovic’s loss led a day of upsets that included seventh seed Andrey Rublev shedding 6-4 7-5 to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi and seventeenth seed Felix Auger Aliassime falling to American Jenson Brooksby 6-4 6-2.
World primary Jannik Sinner is just not taking part in on the event as he serves a doping suspension.
KEYS AND ALCARAZ CRUISE
Earlier, Australian Open champion Madison Keys crushed Anastasia Potapova 6-3 6-0 in her first match as a Grand Slam champion, whereas Carlos Alcaraz started his bid for an Indian Wells three-peat with a 6-4 6-2 win over Quentin Halys.
Alcaraz is trying to be a part of tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the one gamers to have triumphed three successive occasions in “Tennis Paradise”.
“I couldn’t wait to start the tournament, to get here again,” the Spaniard mentioned on a sunsoaked Stadium One court docket after dispatching his French opponent.
“Outside my country, this is my favorite tournament by far. It’s a privilege.”
Alcaraz will play Canadian Denis Shapovalov within the third spherical.
Twelve months in the past, a swarm of bees on Stadium One court docket stung Alcaraz and suspended play for almost two hours throughout his quarter-final.
Lance Davis of Killer Bee Stay Elimination performed the hero that day, eradicating the bees from a shifting digital camera over the court docket with out harming them and Alcaraz and Davis met on the web earlier than Saturday’s match the place they shook palms and shared amusing.
Whereas Alcaraz is already a four-time main champion on the age of 21, Keys needed to wait a couple of weeks shy of her Thirtieth birthday earlier than lastly becoming a member of that unique membership in Melbourne and that success appears to have energised her.
Keys broke Russian Potapova’s serve for a 3rd time to clinch the primary set and rolled via the one-sided second set below sunny skies within the California desert to increase her profitable streak to 13 matches.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Keys mentioned in an interview on centre court docket.
“Australia was obviously an amazing moment so it’s really nice to be playing at home for my first tournament back at a place I’ve played at so many times in front of some amazing people.”
Subsequent up for world quantity 5 Keys is a third-round assembly with both twenty eighth seed Elise Mertens or Kimberly Birrell of Australia, who play afterward Saturday.
American Taylor Fritz, who lifted the trophy right here three years in the past, struggled to shut out Italian Matteo Gigante however finally prevailed 6-3 7-5 in entrance of a full home on Stadium Two court docket.
Fritz was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 within the second set however broke again within the subsequent sport en path to the end.
The third seed mentioned he was being affected person with himself as he was coming off an stomach damage he suffered proper after the Australian Open that saved him out of the event in Acapulco final month.
“There’s definitely things I could have done better in the match but overall it was a pretty solid match,” he mentioned.
“I can’t expect to come back and play perfect tennis. I’ve been injured, so I didn’t have ideal prep coming into the tournament.”
Fritz will face Thirtieth-seeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo for a spot within the spherical of 16.