Novak Djokovic’s slump continued yesterday is another stunning loss, this time to David Goffin who had previously won all four meetings taking 11 of 12 sets. But in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, it was the Belgian coming on top against a weary-looking Djokovic.
Afterward, Djokovic, who hasn’t made even a tournament semifinal since his Doha crown and has just one title in his last 10 events, was out of explanations.
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Djokovic said. “I’m doing everything that I can to play well. I think I’m playing better than I have in first couple months of the year. So that’s a positive.
“But clay is very particular surface that requires, of course, a lot of practice, a lot of movement. Hopefully I’ll get those in the weeks to come.”
Djokovic has overcome the lack of clay prep before having twice won Monte Carlo where he resides. But he did have an elbow injury leading into April. And now he’s looking at a few more weeks of rest before a very important point defense stretch which includes a Madrid title defense, Rome finals and a French win. That’s 3,600 ranking points.
Djokovic still ranks No. 2 but he was 25th entering the week in the ATP Race.
Earlier in the week, Djokovic remarked that his win over Gilles Simon may have re-started his season. Unfortunately it’s more of the same.
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