Uzbekistani tennis player Denis Istomin made history on Thursday at the Australian Open when he shocked Novak Djokovic in the second round of the tournament.
Istomin, who is ranked No. 117 in the world, beat Djokovic in five sets, 7-6, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Istomin said he battled cramps in his legs and still won the match. He rallied back from down two sets to one to win it.
Making the upset even more surprising is that the Australian Open is arguably Djokovic’s best tournament, as he’s won it all but one year since 2011, and six times overall. Djokovic had also dominated Istomin in the five times they’d previously met.
This continues a run of negative finishes for Djokovic. It started when he lost the US Open finals to Stan Wawrinka, then he lost the No. 1 world ranking to Andy Murray, and he now lost in the second round at his best major.
Questions about Djokovic splitting with coach Boris Becker will now arise as many will begin questioning the wisdom of that move.
