Djokovic stunned by Berrettini in Qatar

Novak Djokovic was stunned 7-6(4), 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday, as the Italian enjoyed his first win over the former world No 1.

Berrettini played superbly to knock out the two-time champion in one hour 35 minutes and secure his first victory against a top-10 opponent since January 2023.

"It's something that I've been looking to do," said former world No 6 Berrettini, who had lost all four of his previous matches against the Serb.

"I played against him in the most important tournaments on tour, had the honor and the pleasure to play against him. I wish I could have won one of those matches as well."

World No 35 Berrettini, voted the ATP's comeback player last year, faces Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the next round.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, who was aiming for a 100th ATP title, was playing his first singles match since retiring from the Australian Open semifinals due to a hamstring injury.

The 37-year-old, who last week said he was "almost fully recovered", had not lost a first-round match since his 2022 Monte Carlo Masters defeat to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

"I didn't have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was just outplayed by a better player today," said Djokovic.

"I wasn't at my desired level, and it could be that I'm still not moving the way I want to move, but I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.

"Things are not the same as 10, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and while it's more challenging now, no doubt, I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances."

Gauff beaten in Dubai

World No 3 Coco Gauff crashed out in the second round of the WTA1000 tournament in Dubai on Tuesday, when she was beaten 6-4, 7-5 by fellow American McCartney Kessler.

The world No 53, who beat Doha champion Amanda Anisimova in the first round, broke Gauff's serve three times and saved five of the six break points she faced.

The only time she slipped up came when she tried to serve out the match for the first time at 5-4 in the second set.

It is the first time that Kessler, 25, has beaten a top-10 player, although she has won the first two titles of her career in the last six months — in Cleveland in the United States in August, and then in Hobart, Australia, at the beginning of January.

She is through to the third round of a WTA1000 event for the first time in her career, and will face No 14 seed Karolina Muchova, who beat 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Gauff made a good start to the year, winning all her matches for the US as it won the United Cup, and reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.

However, she lost in the second round of the Doha WTA1000 last Tuesday, also in two sets, to Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and has now fallen to world No 53 Kessler.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka picked up her first win since the Australian Open semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova.

Iga Swiatek crushed Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-2, while Italian Jasmine Paolini kicked off her title defense, beating German qualifier Eva Lys 6-2, 7-5.

Agencies