Ivo Karlovic upset Novak Djokovic 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Thursday. It was a huge win for Karlovic, but the biggest story may have been a game Djokovic played late in the third set.
After getting broken at 3-3, the world No. 1 pushed Karlovic to deuce in the eighth game but failed to get back on serve. In his ensuing service game, Djokovic played at warp speed while serve and volleying on every point. He managed to hold before Karlovic held at love to clinch victory.
Djokovic’s 3-5 service game:
It wasn’t quite like Fabio Fognini’s legendary service game at the 2013 Cincinnati Masters….
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y15DHHSBHtk]
…Nor was there any blatant point-tanking like Stan Wawrinka last fall….
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBdnQQ6hm8]
…But it was the most bizarre game Djokovic has played since THIS (albeit far less hysterical):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh0vAYBAQqU]
Ahaha. Id forgotten all about that Djok Delpo match. Watched it on live on TV. Bizarre! Did we ever get an explanation? I’ve seen him do the odd wobble since, never anything like that though!
#BestVideoEver
I didn’t watch the Novak-Karlovic match, the commies kept saying Novak was riled, what was he riled at, that he was losing?
Sure looked to me like he was mocking Karlovic with that S & V routine, and not sitting down the changeovers going straight to the service line other side of the net?? Didn’t look like a good loser attitude to me………
still gave the obligatory hug afterward!
This is what a poster on tennis.com had to say about it:
@colleen661 says: “@Sam77 Nole is all giggles and smiles when he wins, but sometimes he has this attitude that he is the GREAT NOLE and should not lose and acts accordingly. ”
Pretty much sums it up for me………..
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/01/djokovic-bounced-out-of-qatar-open-in-quarterfinals/53562/#.VK9dSU39nIU
i would rank Djokovic as the best loser on tour. Nadal is up there as well. As is Delpo.
Yup. Nole best loser, not a very good winner. Rafa treats both impostors the same. Fed good loser only when the match is not on his racquet, which is never…
i see what you did there
(and for the most part agree)
People say Fed is best indoors and not so much outdoors but I think it’s Novak who should have that tag! Novak truly does not like the wind at all. He is abysmal in windy conditions and then his short temper gets in the way and makes him do stupid things like serve and volley or touch the net.
I hope Paris has gale force winds this year so we can be spared the “Nole is favourite for Roland Garros” bs………..
see: US Open semifinal vs. Ferrer
Who says Federer isn’t great outdoors? Federer isn’t great on slow-ass courts (relatively speaking) nor should he have to be. Attacking players are a delight to watch for their creativity.
Fed is darn good outdoors
but he is even better indoors
in general, indoors favors the better player in most matchups (unless its like Nadal vs. Karlovic). Eliminates outside elements that can level a playing field.
Ricky Dimon says:
January 9, 2015 at 1:58 pm
—in general, indoors favors the better player in most matchups (unless its like Nadal vs. Karlovic)—
What? Rafa and Karlovich have played once indoors (on carpet, in Milan 2004) and Rafa won!
was an example
if Nadal played Karlovic tomorrow, he would not pick an indoor hard court
There’s a reason the Rafa/Ivo H2H is 4 zip in Rafa’s favour………….he’s the better player!
Ricky Dimon says:
January 9, 2015 at 3:20 pm
—was an example—
This example isn’t based on facts.
if Nadal played ANYONE tomorrow, he would not pick an indoor hard court
Indoor tennis is slightly more valid than indoor football but this slight difference is not statistically significant.
They can go on saying Djoko is the favourite at RG, so long as Rafa wins in the end.
Who exactly is “they”?
All oddsmakers disagree.
BTW, Cilici, Nishikori, Anderson, Goffin, Karlovic, Kohlschreiber are waaaaay better behaved losers than any of the aforenamed players above.
Perhaps such claims should be qualified by “among slam winners”.
Novak was frustrated by his inability to do anything with Karlovic’s serve, nothing more.
no they aren’t. not all of them, anyway.
Yep, all of them.
https://easyodds.com/online-betting/tennis/grand-slams/french-open-odds/french-open-2015/mens-singles-outright-winner
Yesterday, I read on The Grandsand:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B65B1tNCYAAlNSI.png
The headline of this article is really more modest.
Djoko made THIS again – his racket is over the net:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B65S5_nCYAAEZE4.png
and Carlo is staring right at him
He’s done it a few times; unfortunately, Djoker gets away with it because his opponent can’t challenge it because it’s not covered by hawkeye so unless the umpire picks it up, it’s Dkoker’s point.
Same for any other player.
Boris
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT GAME BY DJOKOVIC???
potent question