WATCH: Furious Novak Djokovic forces the chair umpire out of her seat over incorrect call
Djokovic was adamant that Musetti's shot was out of the court during the second set of their clash
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Novak Djokovic during third round of the Monte Carlo Masters (via Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti battled it out at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Serbian, who is seeking to earn his third title at the Master’s tournament, faced considerable opposition. In his opening match on clay this season, qualifier Ivan Gakhov also posed a challenge during the first set of their competition.
Djokovic made a comeback in Monaco after his US ban due to COVID-19 regulations. He admitted that it is difficult for him to adapt himself on clay, considering he has won the least amount of titles on the surface. Djokovic contended against Musetti to venture into the quarter-finals but failed to do so.
Following winning the first set, 6-4, Djokovic started facing trouble on the court. With Musetti equalizing the World No.1 with three games each, Djokovic was hoping to break back the Italian’s serving game. After Djokovic made a return, the youngster hit a questionable forehand. It seemed fairly obvious that the ball was long, as Musetti moved toward the net to check his shot.
Djokovic got into an argument with the umpire as she persisted that the ball was in. At such a crucial stage in the match, the 35-year-old was staunch in his approach, pointing out the mark made by the ball, a few centimeters off the baseline. In many clay-court tournaments, the Hawkeye technology is not utilized, due to claims of a more ‘natural’ form of umpiring.
With boos and cheers from the crowd, Djokovic continued to argue his point. The umpire, on the other hand, claimed she could only see a footmark, backing up her claim with the help of the line umpire. Ultimately, Djokovic had the last laugh-alas losing a point- as the Hawkeye replay displayed that he was right. Fans have expressed their disapproval of the presiding umpire as well as the lack of use of technology at clay-court events due to such discrepancies.
Clay is the most challenging for Novak Djokovic to adapt to
Post his ‘disappointing’ second-round win at the Monte Carlo Masters, Djokovic claims clay is the most difficult for him to compete on. “Clay surface for me is the most challenging surface to adapt, to get into rhythm,” Djokovic said in the press conference. “Maybe for some other guys, it’s more natural…For me, it just takes more than some other guys. That’s how it is, how it always was.”
All in all, it is no surprise Djokovic struggled, due to a lack of matchplay. The Serb believes that is what he needs the most. Djokovic hoped for things to become ‘easier’ as he moved on to the next round. Being a two-time champion in Monte Carlo and holding 18 clay-court tour titles, the veteran is still a dominant force on clay.
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Tanisha Mohanty
(172 Articles Published)