Tennis icon Novak Djokovic suffered a shock semi-final exit at the Shanghai Masters today, falling 6-3, 6-4 to world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot while visibly struggling with a back injury.
The injury visibly hampered Djokovic from the start, prompting on-court medical treatment and an uncharacteristic outburst of frustration as he lashed a ball away during the first set.
He received further attention in the second set and even shouted angry words toward his coaching team box.
Despite a brief resurgence of his fighting spirit, the Serb, hampered by pain, succumbed to the unseeded Frenchman.
The decisive moment came when Vacherot secured a crucial break, sealed by Djokovic’s third double fault of the game.
Vacherot, whose win marks the biggest of his career, expressed disbelief after the match: “I can’t put any words to it. This is crazy… I have learnt so much from this match.”
