Novak Djokovic was injured in Third Set.
Stan Wawrinka advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open. Wawrinka escaped after defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew in the third set due to injury.
The journey of world number 1 as well as defending champion Novak Djokovic at the US Open this season ended with a quite surprising ending.
Serbian Djokovic decided to retire from the third set of the fourth round against Swiss, Stan Wawrinka at Arthur Ashe Stadium because of an injury to his left shoulder.
The 23rd seed Wawrinka was ahead when Djokovic made the bitter decision. He won the first two sets 6-4 7-5 and won 2-1 in the third set when Djokovic approached the net and it was clear that he decided to end the match.
In a match at USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Monday (2/9/2019) WIB, Wawrinka led 6-4, 7-5, 2-1 when Djokovic decided to resign.
“It’s not the way you want to finish the match. I sympathize with Novak,” Wawrinka said after the match as quoted by the official ATP website.
“He is a friend and champion. We have played some extraordinary battles in my career,” continued the Swiss tennis player.
After losing the second set, Djokovic had received treatment on his left shoulder. The injury problem has been bothering Djokovic since the second half.
Passing to the quarterfinals of the US Open was Wawrinka’s best achievement after becoming champion in 2016. The Swiss will next face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
“I want to keep the level (of) tonight. I play well. I’m happy to be back,” said Wawrinka.
When he left the stadium, Djokovic was greeted with mixed reactions, from applause and screams of scorn. Djokovic returned the reaction by giving both his thumbs up before entering the door to exit the stadium.
Djokovic has struggled to deal with pain in his left shoulder when diving the first three rounds at the US Open this season, especially in the second round against Juan Ignacio Londero.
Tennis player who has pocketed 16 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic clearly felt pain throughout the match and made 35 unforced errors before he chose not to continue the match.
“The pain that I feel is fairly constant in the last few weeks,” said Djokovic. “Sometimes the pain is quite painful, sometimes the pain is reduced, and I certainly take a number of medical treatments to reduce the pain instantly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s the opposite. ”
Djokovic’s defeat this time marked the first time he had been eliminated before the US Open semifinals since the 2006 season when he was 19 years old. In four of the last five Grand Slams, he has won 36 of the 37 matches he played.
“That (Retirement from the match) is not the way you want to finish a match. I am truly sorry for what happened with Novak. He is a good friend and a true champion, “added Wawrinka.
