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Novak Djokovic (ATP 7) is surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane. The Serb lost 6:7 (6:8), 3:6 to the American Reilly Opelka (ATP 293).
Djokovic was unable to find a recipe against the strong-serving Opelka. The 37-year-old only managed one break chance in the entire match, which Opelka, who is ten years younger, fended off. The decisive game to make it 6:3 in the second set even went to zero for the American, who grew up in Florida. The two players had never played against each other on the ATP Tour before.
Opelka’s highest ranking in the world was 17th in 2022, since when he has been repeatedly set back by a hip injury. In Brisbane, where he will meet Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ATP 31) in the semi-finals, the 2.11-metre player is in the main draw thanks to his protected ranking. The same applies to the Australian Open, the first highlight of the tennis year, which begins in mid-January.
In Melbourne, Djokovic, who has not won a Grand Slam title in 2024 for the first time since 2017, will be aiming to win his eleventh tournament. It would be his 25th Grand Slam triumph in total. However, he did not succeed in the main rehearsal in Brisbane.
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