Alejandro Davidovich Fokina becomes only 4th player to break Novak Djokovic 6 or more times at a Masters 1000 event on clay
Novak Djokovic's much-awaited return to the ATP tour was cut short following a second-round exit at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain played the match of his life to oust the World No. 1 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1. The two-time Monte-Carlo Open champion was broken nine times, a rarity for the Serb.
Davidovich Fokina thus became one of only four players to have broken Djokovic six times or more at an ATP Masters 1000 event on clay.
Playing his first match on clay this year, Djokovic failed to match the speed and physicality of his younger opponent. At his post-match press conference, the Serb was quick to congratulate the Spaniard and admitted that he was the better player.
“I would like to congratulate Alejandro. He was the better player. He managed to find a better rhythm I think in the first two sets,” Djokovic said. “I was hanging on the ropes the entire match. I was really chasing the result constantly.”
Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal and Jarkko Nieminen are the other 3 players to have broken Novak Djokovic at least 6 times in a Masters 1000 tournament on clay
A wry smile from Novak Djokovic that accompanied the post-match handshake made for a poignant scene, as one of the most keenly anticipated comebacks of the year failed to get off to the desired start.
Before Davidovich Fokina's exceptional display on Tuesday, only Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal, and Jarkko Nieminen had broken Djokovic more than six times at a Masters event on clay.
Players to break the Djokovic serve 6 or more times in a Masters clay court match:
Verdasco - Hamburg 2006
Nieminen - Hamburg 2007
Nadal - Monte Carlo 2009
Nadal - Rome 2019
Davidovich Fokina - Monte Carlo 2022
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Verdasco, who beat Djokovic in the first encounter between the two in the third round of the 2005 US Open, went on to repeat the feat at the Hamburg Masters the following year. He beat Djokovic 6-4, 6-3.
Jarkko Nieminen of Finland failed to capitalize on multiple breaks of serve against Djokovic in the 2007 edition of the Hamburg Masters, going down 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Djokovic's fiercest rival Rafael Nadal is the only other player to have broken the Serb's serve six or more times at a Masters event on clay. He is also the only player to have done so twice.
The first time was in the final of the 2009 Monte-Carlo Masters, which was a see-saw affair. Nadal won the first set while Djokovic stormed back to dominate the second. But the Spaniard outclassed Djokovic in the third to win his fifth title at Monte-Carlo, with the scoreline reading 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
Nadal was at it again in the final of the Italian Open 10 years later, making the most of an early break to charge to a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 win.
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