Novak Djokovic loses calm and match at Shanghai Masters

Novak Djokovic loses calm and match at Shanghai Masters

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Novak Djokovic lost his temper en-route to a semi-final defeat at the Shanghai Masters to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets. The World No. 1 struggled to convert seven out of the nine break points, missing simple groundstrokes and ended up losing the game 6-4, 6-4.

Djokovic lost control of his emotions, smashing his racket into pieces following the loss in the first set. The Serb unusual display continued when he tore his shirt open after losing a point. Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes was regularly visited by the 12-time Grand Slam winner over line calls and the time violation he was awarded for changing his ripped shirt. 

Following the end of the game he carried on arguing with the umpire and continued his tirade into the post-match interview.

“(Bernardes) was the star of the show. That’s what he wanted to be today,” Djokovic told the journalists after the game.

Djokovic has admitted that the last couple of years have left him exhausted, both mentally and physically. In his quarter-final match, the 29-year-old was heard humming to keep his anger under check. But when you finish with 29 unforced errors there is a slim chance that even the humming would work.

“This is one of those days. Things go in an opposite direction than you want them, but again, it’s a lesson. Every day is a lesson,” Djokovic added.

A season that began with so much promise as he completed the career grand slam by winning the French Open which has now ended terribly. A loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon was followed by an early exit to Juan Martín del Potro at the Rio Olympics. A final loss to Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final that followed seems to be the final straw for the 2016 French Open Champion.

“I had to experience sooner or later this. I knew I could not go on playing the highest level for so many years all the time, but it’s good to experience this so I can hopefully get better in the period to come,” the frustrated figure of Djokovic said.

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