Paris (AFP)

When it doesn't want to ... Novak Djokovic, winner of his 8th Australian Open in January and the Cincinnati Masters 1000 relocated to Flushing Meadows a few days earlier, was the big favorite of the US Open, first Major post-confinement.

Especially in the absence of his two great rivals Roger Federer, who had had knee surgery, and Rafael Nadal, who had preferred to draw a line on the American tour organized in a draconian health bubble.

But a twist of fate has entered between the racket shots of the world No. 1.

In the largest tennis court in the world, the Arthur-Ashe court and its 24,000 seats desperately empty due to closed doors, a ball struck behind him, without looking, in a gesture of anger, hit one of the throats in the throat. of the rare people to attend the match, a linesman.

The "Djoker" may have rushed towards her, to make sure she was okay, to palaver for long minutes with the referee then the supervisor, nothing helped: the inevitable sanction fell, Djokovic was disqualified .

And let his opponent of the day, the Spaniard Pablo Carreno, advance to the quarter-finals.

© 2020 AFP