Novak Djokovic was swept away by Sonego in the quarter-finals of the Vienna tournament on October 30, 2020. -

JOE KLAMAR / AFP

World number 1 Novak Djokovic suffered one of the heaviest defeats of his career, against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego, world 42, 6-2, 6-1, in the quarter-finals of the Vienna tournament on Friday.

The 33-year-old Serb had never scored so few games in a winning straight-set match.

“He simply swept me off the court, reacted Djokovic on the ATP site.

He was better in all areas of the game. He definitely deserved this result.

This is only his second racket failure this season, after the one suffered in the Roland-Garros final against Rafael Nadal three weeks ago.

He also lost by disqualification at the US Open.

Missed opportunity to secure the throne at the end of the year

The last defeat of "Nole" against a player classified as low dates back more than two years: in the spring of 2018, he was beaten in the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros by another Italian, Marco Cecchinato, then ranked 72nd.

By losing Friday, Djokovic missed an opportunity to secure this week the world number 1 place at the end of the season, which would have been promised if he had won the tournament.

If he finishes for the sixth time at the top of the ATP ranking at the end of the season, the Serbian will equal the record of the American Pete Sampras.

The first lucky loser to beat Djoko

“I played the best game of my life,” exulted the winner, quoted by ATP.

“Novak is the best in the world.

It's incredible !

“, He exclaimed again, while he owes his presence in the final table to a draft.

Sonego is also the first "lucky loser" to beat Djokovic.

Another surprising defeat in Vienna, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, 6th player in the world, was dominated 6-4, 7-6 (5) by the South African Kevin Anderson, former member of the top 10 now ranked 111th.

In the semi-finals, Anderson will challenge Andrey Rublev (8th), who released the 3rd world Dominic Thiem on his Austrian soil (7-6, 6-2).

Sonego will challenge the Briton Daniel Evans, who defeated the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in three sets (7-6, 4-6, 6-3).

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  • Vienna (Austria)

  • Novak Djokovic

  • Tennis

  • Sport