BELGRADE (Reuters) -Novak Djokovic crashed out of his own tournament after Russia's Aslan Karatsev beat him 7-5 4-6 6-4 on Saturday to reach the Serbia Open final and avenge the Australian Open semi-final defeat by the world number one. Djokovic praised Karatsev after what he said was a forgettable evening. "Hats off to Karatsev, he was bold and deserved to win," Djokovic told an online news conference. I am not happy with my performance, I put up a fight but he delivered great shots every time he needed to. At the Australian Open in Melbourne I felt like I was playing against a wall but this is a different surface and I was focused."

Source: The Star April 24, 2021 19:46 UTC