Italy’s player, ranked 123rd in the world, brought an end to a streak of 11 wins by experienced Serbians Novak Djokovic in Masters tournaments, while also reviving memories of his childhood tennis idol.
In Short
Nardi’s biggest Win
On Monday, the lucky qualifier, Luka Nardi, achieved the biggest win of his young career by defeating the world number one, Novak Djokovic, with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters.
The Lucky loser against Novak djokovic ! How about that 😎pic.twitter.com/QnNZkADw6A
— ZIKO (@ZIKO_TALKS) March 12, 2024
Novak Djokovic : Nardi’s Idol
The Italian player, ranked 123rd globally, halted a series of 11 victories by experienced Serbians in Masters tournaments, while also improving upon the childhood tennis idol whose poster had adorned his bedroom wall since he was eight.
The 20-year-old player didn’t falter under Novak Djokovic’s immense skill, breaking his serve in the crucial set to take a 4-2 lead, eventually winning the match with a brilliant play after three games.
Match Stats
Nardi concluded the match with 36 winners and 41 unforced errors, whereas Novak Djokovic committed only 31 errors in just over two hours. Speaking after his victory, Nardi said in an interview on the court, “Nobody knew me before tonight. I hope the crowd enjoyed the game; I’m really happy about it.”
Post Match interview
When asked about achieving the biggest win of his career, Nardi replied, “I don’t know. It feels like a miracle, really. I’m someone ranked outside the top 100 in the world, and now I’ve beaten Novak – insane, absolutely insane.”
Luca Nardi talking about how he still has a poster of Novak Djokovic in his room makes beating Novak even more surreal. What a moment in his life.#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/eanRqMuwNt
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) March 12, 2024
Nardi’s return catapulted him into the main draw of the Indian Wells tournament. He had been defeated by Belgium’s David Goffin in the final round of qualifiers.
Djokovic’s statement
Meanwhile, Djokovic attributed his loss to Nardi’s lucky break in the main draw, stating that Nardi was indeed deserving of the win.
“He was fortunate to join the main draw as a lucky loser, so he had nothing to lose,” Djokovic commented. “He deserved the win. I was more surprised by my level of play. It was really bad. Sometimes these things happen together – his day was great, mine was terrible.”
Novak Djokovic is surprised by his level in recent games but is looking to the next tournaments to grab some more trophies 🏆🔥
— ᖴᖇᗩᑎI (@frani2312) March 12, 2024
It’s true Nole, it’s part of the sport, I know you’ll win many more trophies ❤️pic.twitter.com/4kLkmp7JSp
In other matches on Monday, seventh seed Holger Rune eventually made it to the second round after defeating Bai and second-round qualifier Milos Raonic.
Den’s 20-year-old defeated Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) to advance in the competition.
Fourth seed Daniel Medvedev struggled against Sebastian Korda, eventually winning the match 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, in a strange match with 31 break points, 15 of which were converted.
The winner was limited to just 14 winners, with Korda facing over 60 unexpected errors. Medvedev will face Grigor Dimitrov in the next round.
Norway’s ninth seed Casper Ruud defeated France’s Arthur Fils
Norway’s ninth seed Casper Ruud defeated France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4.
In a thrilling match, French showstopper Gael Monfils ended the run of 2021 champion Cameron Norrie in a match where the 36-year-old victor and the Briton played a significant game with 31 break points in Monfils’ favor.
Tommy Paul, who will face Nardi in the next round, secured a home victory by defeating Dubai champion Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4.
Taylor Fritz defeated Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-2.
Update on Naomi Osaka
However, former number one and 2018 tournament winner Naomi Osaka failed to join them, losing to Alison Van Uytvanck 7-5, 6-4, who will now face Gauff.
The Belgian player saved three break points in the final game and moved ahead on her second match point, sealing Osaka’s fate.
A four-time Major tournament winner, Osaka is making a comeback to tennis this season after giving birth to her child.
Earlier, Sabalenka defeated Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-5, though she double-faulted at match point and needed three more chances to seal the win.
Sabalenka’s remark
Sabalenka remarked, “I was happy to finish this match in two sets; the last game was tough.” “Losing that game would’ve given her a lot of emotional boost and confidence – you never know with tiebreakers, it’s 50/50.”
Goff, who won the US Open as a teenager last September, defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), clinching the tiebreaker with minimal drama.The US Open champion, now 20, won her sixth consecutive match against an Italian opponent.
About Bronzetti’s performance, the winner said, “She played really well.” “But I was much better compared to my previous match – I’m improving with every game.”
