Nardi, ranked 123rd on the planet, halted Djokovic’s 11-match successful streak at Masters occasions, reaching a childhood dream of triumphing over his tennis idol.
The 20-year-old Italian, who entered the principle draw as a fortunate loser after a withdrawal, displayed exceptional composure and resilience all through the match.
Breaking Djokovic for a 4-2 lead within the deciding set, Nardi maintained his poise to safe the victory, closing out the match with a match level ace.
Reflecting on his exceptional achievement, Nardi expressed his elation, stating, “Earlier than this night time no-one knew me. I hope the gang loved the sport; I am tremendous proud of this one.”
Describing his win as a “miracle,” he added, “I am a man ranked exterior the highest 100 on the planet and now I am beating Novak — loopy, loopy.”
Djokovic, gracious in defeat, attributed his loss to a subpar efficiency on his half, acknowledging Nardi’s deserving victory. “He deserved to win. I used to be extra stunned with my stage. My stage was actually, actually dangerous,” Djokovic admitted.
Elsewhere within the event, a number of different matches unfolded with seventh seed Holger Rune securing a victory over Lorenzo Musetti, whereas fourth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame Sebastian Korda in a hard-fought encounter. Norwegian Casper Ruud and Frenchman Gael Monfils additionally superior to the following spherical with notable wins.
Within the ladies’s draw, reigning Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff progressed to the fourth spherical with hard-fought victories. Nevertheless, former primary Naomi Osaka suffered a defeat by the hands of Elise Mertens, signaling an early exit for the Japanese participant.
(With inputs from AFP)