World number 1 Novak Djokovic was eliminated on Sunday in the 3rd round of the Masters 1000 in Rome, dominated by the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 32nd in the ATP ranking, 6-2, 6-3. Two weeks before Roland-Garros (May 26-June 9), Djokovic, 36, is in the greatest limbo: he is still in search of his first title of the year and is evolving far from his usual standards. We have to go back to May 2017 to find traces of a comparable correction in Masters 1000, when “Djoko” was outclassed by Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals in Madrid. The Serb appeared extinguished, without desire , multiplying the direct errors during this meeting, two days after a painful and unusual mishap: Friday evening, he was knocked out by the water bottle that fell from a spectator’s bag while he was signing autographs after his easy victory against the French Corentin Moutet (6-3, 6-1).
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