Title number 100 will have to wait, as Novak Djokovic was stopped in the quarterfinals of the 250 series tournament in Brisbane.
Reilly Opelka, a former world number 17, played a brilliant match and defeated Djokovic 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
Opelka, who stands at 211 cm, played an outstanding match, having three break points in the first set before that tiebreak. In the so-called 13th game, the American first gained a mini-break advantage, Novak managed to come back, but at 6-6 we saw the key point:
Djokovic served too weakly on Opelka’s forehand, who used the immediate opportunity for an attack and won the point in the next shot.
Opelka secured the first set with a powerful serve and continued to play as if in a trance, while Djokovic became nervous and was passive in the exchanges, which the inspired American used to his advantage.
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Djokovic had the only break point in the match in the third game of the second set, but Opelka remained calm and served excellently.
In the next game, the 27-year-old American made what turned out to be a crucial break, and he routinely finished the match. Opelka will face Gregoire Barrere in the semifinals, who defeated Jakub Mensik in straight sets. That semifinal is scheduled for Saturday at 11:30 am, with a live broadcast on Sport club.
Opelka is 211 cm tall, was once the 17th ranked player in the world, but has struggled with injuries in the past two years and is now ranked 293rd. With three wins in Brisbane, he is on the verge of returning to the top 200. In the other semifinal, Grigor Dimitrov will face Jiri Lehecka.
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Source: Sport Klub, Photo: Abaca Press