Tennis News: Injury sidelines Novak Djokovic from the Monte Carlo Masters
World number two Novak Djokovic’s incredible run in the current ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season finally comes to a halt when his knee injury forces him to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters, due to be played
next week.
The 23-year-old Serb is currently in his best form ever, as he has already won four ATP titles in this year, including the all prestigious Grand Slam, the Australian Open. Djokovic is yet to lose a match this season and is running
a 26-match winning streak, including victories over the world number one Rafael Nadal and the second ranked Swiss maestro, Roger Federer.
The Masters event is a tournament of great significance for Djokovic as he lives in Monte Carlo. The world number two was reckoned to be the hot favourite for the tournament with his sublime current form but the news of his injury
gave a serious blow to his fans all around the world.
“It is a very sad moment not only for this tournament and my fans, but also for myself,” Djokovic reflected on his official website, “This is my favourite tournament and one of my two home events. Monte Carlo is where I spend most
of my time away from the circuit and this is my club where I practise and train all year long. Unfortunately I had to take this decision to withdraw.”
Right after the Australian Open campaign, the second ranked Serb proved his mettle by winning the Dubai International Championships, completing his hat-trick of titles at Dubai. He then went on to defeat the top ranked Nadal in
the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells to register his 21st ATP title. Djokovic defeated Nadal for a second straight time in the final of Sony Ericsson Open at Miami a fortnight ago.
Djokovic has reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters for three straight times but has failed to bag the title. He made it to the final in 2009, only to be defeated by the world number one Nadal in an enthralling three-set
contest. With two consecutive wins over Nadal in the finals of ATP World Tour tournaments, it was anticipated that the Serb will get his hands on gold in his home town this time around. To the dismay of the tennis fans, Djokovic announced his withdrawal from
the tournament on Friday.
Rafael Nadal will be competing for winning a record seventh consecutive title victory at Monte Carlo and will be feeling quite confident in the absence of the injury-stricken Serb. Djokovic has not yet mentioned the severity of
the injury and how long it will take him to return to the tennis courts.
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