Novak Djokovic vents his annoyance in press conference after shock defeat
Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat against Lorenzo Musetti in the last-16 on the Monte Carlo Masters and he was in no meed to speak to the media to explain his loss.
Australian Open champion Djokovic slumped only his second defeat of 2023 as the 22-time grand slam champion surrendered a one-set and 4-2 lead to lose 4-6 7-5 6-4 in a rain-interrupted match in Monaco.
After clinching the opener, Djokovic struggled to find his best level in the windy conditions on Court Rainier III.
The 35-year-old lost serve seven times before wet weather forced the players off with the score at 1-1 and him leading 40-30 in the third game of the deciding set.
Following the resumption of play, the tie remained on serve until the seventh game of the final set when 21-year-old Musetti secured what proved to be the decisive break.
Top seed Djokovic, who won the tournament in 2013 and 2015, doggedly saved three match points before eventually succumbing to defeat to the world number 21 in a thrilling contest lasting two hours and 54 minutes.
“I am struggling not to cry,” Musetti said in his on-court interview.
“It is an emotional win because it was a really long match. Three-hour match and suspended by rain.
“It was not easy conditions because it was a little bit windy and cold – not like we used to play in the recent days.
“I am really proud of myself. I am struggling not to cry because it is a dream for me. Beating Novak is something remarkable for me.”
Musetti’s joy was contrasted by Djokovic’s clear annoyance, as he struggled to find the words to sum up his emotions in a bided post-match press conference.
“I don’t think it’s catastrophic, but my feeling is bad right now because I lost the match,” Djokovic said. “That’s all. Congrats to my opponent. I move on.
“Well, my feeling is terrible after playing like this, honestly, but congrats to him.
“He stayed tough in important moments, and that’s it. That’s all I can say. Good luck to him.
“You always hope for the good day in the office, but yeah, I know I’m not playing so great and he’s playing very well, so I knew it was going to be a tough match.”
When pressed to offer up reasons for his performance, a clearly agitated Djokovic added: “It’s not a great day for me, so I’m not really in the mood to speak.”
He also seemed reluctant to speak about the arm injury that appeared to hamper him during the match.
Musetti’s reward for a first career victory over the Serbian is a quarter-final showdown with compatriot Jannik Sinner.
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