MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - Daniil Medvedev beat Alexander Zverev to book a spot in the quarterfinals, while world number one Novak Djokovic was stunned by Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday in the third round of Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic’s quest for a record-extending 39th Masters trophy was prolonged on Thursday after falling to a 4-6 7-5 6-4 defeat at the hands of Musetti.
Djokovic’s last meeting with the Italian on clay was a gruelling Roland Garros clash in 2021, in which he battled back from two sets down to win, but this time it was Musetti that claimed a comeback victory in windy conditions.
Both players struggled on their serve in a contest littered with 15 breaks of serve, but Djokovic appeared to have the match in hand as he comfortably took the first set.
However, Musetti refused to go down without a fight and the Italian stepped on the gas in the second set to level the topsy-turvy encounter.
Not even a lengthy halt in play due to rain could dampen Musetti’s momentum, and the 21-year-old once again took advantage of a weak serving performance from Djokovic to break and take the win.
“I’m struggling not to cry. It was a really long match, not easy conditions. It was a bit windy, cold,” Musetti said. “I’m really proud of myself. The rallies were long, it was a tough, physical battle. Beating Novak is something remarkable for me.”