Novak Djokovic has been tumbled out of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati by veteran Tommy Robredo 7-6, 7-5. The loss put an end to the world No.1’s quest to win the ATP Career Golden Masters
Robredo got the first break of the first set at 2-2 with an inspired backhand winner of a short ball. But when serving at 4-3, Robredo was broken back by the game’s best returner.
Robredo had more chances to break at 4-4, however he could not take his break point as he went for too much and his backhand down the line missed the line.
Both men held serve into the tie-breaker. Robredo’s backhand and its range earned him the minibreak as he forced an error from an off balance Djokovic. The Spaniard gave up the mini-break with a double-fault for 3-3.
At 4-3, Robredo grabbed another mini-break as a cross court forehand exchange went his way as Djokovic missed the line. Robredo then broke again as he took on a second serve with the backhand, approached the net and hustled Djokovic into error to hold 3 set points at 6-3.
Djokovic saved them with some of his best shotmaking and defensive skills, forcing Robredo to go for too much and error.
However, Robredo got a look at a second serve, hit a deep and flat return at Djokovic’s feet and earned another setpoint. This time he took it with an ace down the tee that just clipped the side of the line.
The second set went with serve to 4-5 Djokovic serving. The Serbian hit a double-fault to go two match points down. He saved the first one as Robredo hit a tentative forehand into the net. A service winner saved the second, and the Serbian moved on to hold serve as the zap that had marked Robredo’s performance vanished.
But serving at 5-6, Djokovic was in trouble again. He fell match point down once more, and this time Robredo was ready. He mixed it up with spins and slice, hit flat on the forehand, moved in and won the match with a volley to send Djokovic tumbling out of the one ATP 1o00 event he has been unable to win. Robredo, meanwhile scored a victory over a player he has lost to seven times, and beaten once, and moves confidently into the quarter-finals.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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