Novak Djokovic, the world's number one tennis player, was defeated in his quarter-final match against compatriot Dusan Lajovic at the Srpska Open. Djokovic, who had previously dropped only four games in his last two matches against Lajovic, lost the match by 6-4 7-6(6). This is his second early exit from a tournament in as many weeks following his third-round defeat to Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Despite his recent defeats, Djokovic remains hopeful of finding his form on clay ahead of next month's French Open. He will be targeting his 23rd Grand Slam title at the tournament, which is the second Grand Slam of the season, beginning on May 28. Rafa Nadal, Djokovic's long-time rival, has been forced to skip several clay tournaments due to injury, so Djokovic will be looking to build momentum ahead of the French Open.
In his post-match interview, Djokovic acknowledged that Lajovic played well, but he felt that he played much worse than he wanted to. He failed to convert 15 of 16 breakpoints and felt that his footwork was torpid and his shots lacked direction. Djokovic attributed his sub-par performance to his physical condition, admitting that his legs were slow, and he was not feeling well on the court. Djokovic also revealed that he had been struggling with an elbow injury, which might have affected his performance.
Djokovic hopes to get into top form for the French Open and play his best tennis there. He noted that the conditions in Monte Carlo and Banja Luka were different from the French Open, and he had always had a slow start on clay in previous seasons before playing much better in the final stages. Djokovic will be looking to repeat that pattern this year, and he has several weeks to practice and play before the tournament.
