Novak Djokovic put on one of his worst performances at one of his favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open on Sunday.
It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win Friday, and he said the «unfortunate» incident affected him on court.
«That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half-an-hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood,» Djokovic said at a news conference, adding that he would go for scans later. «I managed to sleep OK. I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it's OK. Maybe it is OK, maybe it's not.
»The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning."
Djokovic started off with a double-fault, and it didn't get much better for the six-time Rome champion.
The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service games and went on to lose the match 6-2, 6-3 in 68 minutes, handing Tabilo the victory when he double-faulted — his fifth of the match — as the boos rang out at the Foro Italico.
It was an unusually off-key performance from the 24-time Grand Slam champion as he tries to step up his game on clay before attempting to defend his title at the French Open, which starts May 26. He has played only six matches on clay this year.
Asked about his French Open chances, Djokovic said: «Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it.»
Djokovic was broken four times Sunday and didn't have a break opportunity in the match. He had 12 unforced
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Alejandro Tabilo