"Probably one of my worst matches in the last few years" - Novak Djokovic after losing to Dan Evans in Monte Carlo
Novak Djokovic suffered one of the most surprising losses of his claycourt career on Thursday, going down to Dan Evans in the Monte Carlo Round of 16.
Evans has never been considered a force on clay, having won just four tour matches on the surface before entering this tournament. But he outmaneuvered and outplayed Djokovic on Thursday, using the backhand slice to elicit a series of uncharacteristic misses from the Serb.
While speaking to the media after the shock loss, Novak Djokovic was sharply critical of his own play, claiming that it was one of his worst performances in recent times.
"To be honest, I mean, this has been probably one of the worst matches and performances from my side I can recall in the last years," Djokovic said. "I don’t want to take anything away from his win, but from my side, I just felt awful on the court overall. Just nothing worked. It’s one of those days."
I’m disappointed with the way I played, but it’s a long clay season: Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic believes the windy conditions in Monte Carlo had a role to play in his loss to Dan Evans. The World No. 1 struggled for timing almost throughout, particularly when he was made to generate his own pace off the slice.
Djokovic also praised Evans' strategy during the match, claiming that the Brit 'dismantled' his game with his clever shot placement.
"Just was obviously very, very windy, tough to play in these kinds of conditions against a guy like Evans who makes you move," Djokovic said. "He’s very unpredictable with his shots. He dismantled my game."
Novak Djokovic continued to vent his disappointment at putting up such a poor performance. But the Serb did add that can still make up for his early-round exit at Monte Carlo by performing well at the upcoming tournaments.
"I mean, I was just not feeling it, and playing pretty bad," Djokovic said. "Obviously right now, as I walk off the court, I'm disappointed with the way I played, the way I felt on the court. But it's a long clay season. Still plenty of tournaments, plenty of room to improve."