CINCINNATI : Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, losing 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante after struggling in stifling heat in his first match since Wimbledon.
The 39-year-old Serbian looked in control after cruising through the opening set but began to struggle with the humidity early in the second.
Djokovic dropped to his knees during an 18-minute third game that featured nine deuces and 24 points. He received a medical timeout for treatment to help cool him down after eventually holding serve.
The four-time Cincinnati champion offered little resistance on return for the remainder of the set as Tirante levelled the match. Djokovic returned for the decider after changing his clothes and initially looked sharper.
But with the set tied at 4-4, the former world number one made a series of uncharacteristic errors, culminating in a volley into the net that handed Tirante the decisive break.
The 50th-ranked Argentine held his nerve to serve out the biggest victory of his career and will face Spain’s Martin Landaluce in the third round.
“I’m thinking about my family and my friends who are in Argentina right now,” Tirante said.
“They are in Argentina, but they are in my heart as well.”
Djokovic was playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals. He will now turn his attention to the U.S. Open, where he will seek a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title.
