A 20 year fortress falls! Djokovic suffers stunning US Open exit
Novak Djokovic has suffered one of the most shocking Grand Slam defeats of his career. The Serbian legend was knocked out in the first round of the US Open by Argentina's Mariano Navone, ending a remarkable streak that had stood for more than two decades.
Details: Navone defeated Djokovic 7 6, 5 7, 4 6, 6 2, 6 1 in five sets. It was Djokovic's first opening round loss at a Grand Slam since Paul Goldstein beat him at the 2006 Australian Open.
Before this match, Djokovic had won 78 consecutive first round contests at tennis majors. The run was the longest sequence of opening round victories in Grand Slam history and underlined the extraordinary consistency that has defined his career. The 39 year old looked set to recover after moving two sets to one ahead, but Navone refused to fade under the lights in New York. The 25 year old Argentine raised his level as the match wore on and dominated the final two sets, while Djokovic struggled physically and produced 70 unforced errors across the contest. Navone won 63.3 percent of the points in the fourth and fifth sets to complete the biggest victory of his career. For Djokovic, the defeat brings an abrupt end to his pursuit of a record 25th major title at this year's US Open and raises fresh questions about how much longer he can remain competitive across the longest matches.
It's worth noting that Djokovic made his US Open debut exactly 21 years before this loss. His 78 match opening round streak began after the defeat to Goldstein in Melbourne.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
