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Internet Desk: Dominic Thiem crushed the current defending champion Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros. Thiem will meet the nine- time champion Rafael Nadal in the semi finals of the French open.
Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at Garros in the last seven years after Thiem ousted him 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-0.
A huge pressure has been put on the shoulders of Djokovic after his early losses in Garros and a second round exit at the Australian Open to prove that he is still a contender to fight for his place in the World rankings.
The 12-time grand slam winner registered his first straight-sets loss at a major tournament in four months.
He then also held all four majors.
Wednesday saw him suffer a first 6-0 ‘bagel’ at a Slam since the 2005 US Open while the defeat will also see him slip out of the world’s top two for the first time in six years.
“It’s a dream to beat Novak for the first time and reach the semi-finals at Roland Garoos again,” said Thiem, who was beaten by Djokovic in straight sets in the semi-finals in Paris in 2016.
It was Thiem’s first win over the Serb in six meetings.
“It was tricky today, it was windy and cold. It was important to move well and hit clean.”
Thiem trails Nadal 4-2 in career meetings but remains the only man to beat the Spaniard on clay this year after winning in the Rome quarter-finals.
“It’s always difficult the deeper you go in the draw — it won’t be any easier on Friday.”
Djokovic, who teamed up with Andre Agassi ahead of the tournament, squandered two set points in the 10th game of the opener on Wednesday and things got steadily worse.
Thiem pounced on his lifeline, taking the set after 73 minutes when the Serb dumped a backhand in the net.
By that stage, Nadal was already back in the locker room, safely into the semi-finals after his opponent Pablo Carreno Busta had retired with injury over on Philippe Chatrier.
Nadal was leading 6-2, 2-0 when his opponent decided to quit on account of abdominal injury which he sustained at the end of the first set.The Spaniard will play the semis for a record 10th time.
Djokovic, who had needed five sets to beat Diego Schwartzman in the third round, was 3-0 down in the second set with Thiem’s unerring accuracy finding the angles.
The world number two had demolished Thiem for the loss of just one game in Rome in April.