In a stunning turn of events at the ATP Brisbane International, American Reilly Opelka defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals on Friday night. The 293rd-ranked Opelka claimed the biggest victory of his career with a 7-6(6), 6-3 win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
The 6-foot-11 big server fired 16 aces during the one-hour and 40-minute match on center court, leaving Djokovic stuck on 99 career singles titles as he heads into the Australian Open, a tournament he has won a record 10 times.
“The reality is we had nothing to lose coming in against him. He’s the greatest player ever, so you end up playing more free and you take a lot more risks because it’s your only chance,” Opelka said after the match. “If you play at your normal level, he’s going to win every time.”
This was the first meeting between Opelka and Djokovic, and the American made it count. Exploiting his powerful serve and taking risks, he managed to unsettle the Serbian star, who was favored to win the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka secured a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Czech Marie Bouzkova. Sabalenka will face Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals, promising an exciting matchup between two rising stars.
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Novak Djokovic ousted by Reilly Opelka at Brisbane International
cgtn.com
