Dusan Lajovic produced a clutch performance on serve Friday to stun top seed Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Srpska Open in Banja Luka and claim his first win over a World No. 1.
Despite winning just four games across their previous two meetings, the 32-year-old Lajovic earned a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory after fending off 15 of 16 break points faced to advance. Lajovic saved three set points in the second-set tie-break.
“I'm overwhelmed, it is the biggest win of my career,” Lajovic said in his on-court interview. “The emotions are very mixed because I'm playing here in front of the home town and I'm also playing against Nole who is a good friend and he's a hero of our country. Beating him, it's something that I didn't even think is going to be possible, but it happened.”
Lajovic stayed aggressive, sometimes serve-and-volleying to put Djokovic under pressure, and moved the 22-time major champion to all corners of the court to earn his third career victory against a Top-5 player.
After Lajovic failed to convert three break points at 4-4, 0/40 in the second set, Djokovic rallied to later force a tie-break, where he raced to a 6/3 lead. But Lajovic held his nerve to win five straight points, including a dramatic 15-ball rally at 7/6, to secure a two-hour, 29-minute victory.
“His percentage of the first serve was not the greatest,” Lajovic said. “So I was able to use that to my advantage. But overall I think it was very good tennis from my side.”
Lajovic will meet another Serbian in the last four when he meets Miomir Kecmanovic, who defeat Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-0 behind seven breaks of the Czech's serve.
Lajovic plays his best tennis on clay. In 2019, he rose to a career-high No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings shortly after a runner-up finish at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. Fognini), where he became the lowest-ranked finalist (No. 48) at the event since No. 53 Hicham Arazi in 2001. Lajovic earned his first Top-5 victory en route to the final, defeating Dominic Thiem in the round of 16.
[ATP APP]
A few months after his Monte-Carlo run, Lajovic earned his lone tour-level title at the ATP 250 event in Umag.
Djokovic suffered his third loss this season and first to a fellow Serbian since Janko Tipsarevic defeated him at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid in May 2012. Djokovic praised his friend following the defeat.
“Dusan is a fantastic person, great guy,” Djokovic said. “Someone I’ve known for a very long time, since he started playing professional tennis. So many times on the Davis Cup team together, trained together. I’m happy for him, to be honest. I know this is an important win for him considering the last 12 months that he’s been through, it’s not been easy for him. He’s playing well and he deserved to win today.”
The 93-time tour-level titlist Djokovic will next be in action at the Mutua Madrid Open, which runs from 26 April-7 May.
Despite winning just four games across their previous two meetings, the 32-year-old Lajovic earned a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory after fending off 15 of 16 break points faced to advance. Lajovic saved three set points in the second-set tie-break.
“I'm overwhelmed, it is the biggest win of my career,” Lajovic said in his on-court interview. “The emotions are very mixed because I'm playing here in front of the home town and I'm also playing against Nole who is a good friend and he's a hero of our country. Beating him, it's something that I didn't even think is going to be possible, but it happened.”
Lajovic stayed aggressive, sometimes serve-and-volleying to put Djokovic under pressure, and moved the 22-time major champion to all corners of the court to earn his third career victory against a Top-5 player.
After Lajovic failed to convert three break points at 4-4, 0/40 in the second set, Djokovic rallied to later force a tie-break, where he raced to a 6/3 lead. But Lajovic held his nerve to win five straight points, including a dramatic 15-ball rally at 7/6, to secure a two-hour, 29-minute victory.
“His percentage of the first serve was not the greatest,” Lajovic said. “So I was able to use that to my advantage. But overall I think it was very good tennis from my side.”
Lajovic will meet another Serbian in the last four when he meets Miomir Kecmanovic, who defeat Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-0 behind seven breaks of the Czech's serve.
Lajovic plays his best tennis on clay. In 2019, he rose to a career-high No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings shortly after a runner-up finish at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. Fognini), where he became the lowest-ranked finalist (No. 48) at the event since No. 53 Hicham Arazi in 2001. Lajovic earned his first Top-5 victory en route to the final, defeating Dominic Thiem in the round of 16.
[ATP APP]
A few months after his Monte-Carlo run, Lajovic earned his lone tour-level title at the ATP 250 event in Umag.
Djokovic suffered his third loss this season and first to a fellow Serbian since Janko Tipsarevic defeated him at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid in May 2012. Djokovic praised his friend following the defeat.
“Dusan is a fantastic person, great guy,” Djokovic said. “Someone I’ve known for a very long time, since he started playing professional tennis. So many times on the Davis Cup team together, trained together. I’m happy for him, to be honest. I know this is an important win for him considering the last 12 months that he’s been through, it’s not been easy for him. He’s playing well and he deserved to win today.”
The 93-time tour-level titlist Djokovic will next be in action at the Mutua Madrid Open, which runs from 26 April-7 May.