Novak Djokovic was surprised by Dusan Lajovic and said goodbye too early at ATP Banja Luka

the Serbian Dusan Lajovic gave the big blow this Friday at the ATP 250 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, eliminating his compatriot and world number one, Novak Djokovic, in a duel for the quarterfinals. It was 6-4 and 7-6 (6) for the Belgrade native who had the pleasure of beating his winning neighbor for the first time.

One month after the start of Roland Garros, Djokovic continues to find the tone on the surface. He was eliminated from the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in the round of 16, beaten by Italian Lorenzo Musetti. Now, in the Bosnian tournament, he started after winning only one match, against the young and promising Frenchman Luca Van Assche and with many difficulties, in three sets.

The world number one has only won two matches on clay, having already complained about the slowness of the Banja Luka pitch, where he also showed symptoms of physical illness with an injury to his right elbow.

Anyway, showed its worst version Against Lajovic, who had easily beaten in the two previous matches played, in Doha, on concrete, and in Montecarlo, in 2018, on clay.

Never before had Lajovic won a set as he took a prestigious victory to place himself in the semifinals which he will play against the winner of the clash between Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, fourth seed, and Czech Jiri Lehecka, sixth.

Lajovic has only one title in his career, in Umag and a final in Montecarlo. Both on clay and in 2019. It took him two and a half hours to overcome Djokovic and reach the first semifinals in 2023.

The second seed, Russian Andrey Rublev, who earned his seventh straight win against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 7-5, 6-3, did not fail, however. The Muscovite who won the Montecarlo Masters 1000 last Sunday will face the Slovenian Alex Molcan in the semifinals, who needed three sets to beat the Serbian Laslo Djere 6-2, 4-6 and 7-5.

Source: EFE