Novak Djokovic says goodbye to the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati in the first round, defeated by Argentine Thiago Tirante with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. A match affected by difficult weather conditions: heat and humidity seriously challenged the Serbian champion, who was forced several times to bend over on the court and request a medical timeout after a game that lasted 18 minutes. During the break, Djokovic also vomited on a towel.
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At the end of the match, the 39-year-old hinted that it might have been his last appearance in Cincinnati: «It really seems that I will not play here again, unfortunately». The Serbian, three-time winner of the tournament in 2018, 2020, and 2023, explained that the environmental conditions worsened a health problem that, according to his words, has been affecting him for about two years especially when temperatures are high and humidity is high.
For Djokovic, this is the first match after the semifinal lost at Wimbledon against Jannik Sinner. Among the Italians, Flavio Cobolli smiles instead, who comes back to beat Miomir Kecmanovic and advances to the third round. Matteo Arnaldi, Mattia Bellucci, and Matteo Berrettini were eliminated, the latter defeated by Jiri Lehecka. Also spectacular was the comeback of the Spaniard Rafa Jodar, who managed to recover from 1-5 in the third set against Denis Shapovalov and win six consecutive games. A good start for Alexander Zverev, who beats Cameron Norrie in three sets at the end of a match concluded late at night.
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