Six-time champion Novak Djokovic’s hopes of turning around his season at the Miami Open ended in the second round when he was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Frenchman Benoit Paire on Friday.
The loss snapped a 16-match winning streak in the tournament for the ninth-seeded Serb who had been eliminated in the second round at Indian Wells, but said before the match his right elbow was painfree for the first time in a long while.
He had won the tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2016 but missed last year’s event with the elbow injury.
“I’m trying, but its not working,” Djokovic said. “That’s all it is. I mean, obviously I’m not feeling great when I’m playing this way. Of course, I want to be able to play as well as I want to play. Just its impossible at the moment. That’s all.”
Juan Martin del Potro survived a battle with Robin Haase to capture his 12th consecutive win at 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
In the women’s section, Monica Puig shrugged off an opening-set bagel to rally for a 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over World No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki in the second round.
Venus Williams was shaky in her performance against qualifier Natalia Vikhlyantseva but advanced 7-5 6-4.
Rohan Bopanna, in partnership with Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, saved four matchpoints while beating Adrian Mannarino of France and Daniil Medvedev of Russia 4-6, 6-2, 14-12 in the doubles first round.
The results:
Second round: Kei Nishikori bt John Millman 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3; Benoit Paire bt Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4; Milos Raonic bt Mikael Ymer 6-3, 6-3; Jeremy Chardy bt Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-1; John Isner bt Jiri Vesely 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny bt Gilles Muller 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Vasek Pospisil bt Andrey Rublev 7-6(5), 6-4; Marin Cilic bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-5, 6-3; Grigor Dimitrov bt Maximilian Marterer 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Juan Martin del Potro bt Robin Haase 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Doubles: First round: Doubles (first round): Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) & Rohan Bopanna bt Adrian Mannarino (Fra) & Daniil Medvedev (Rus) 4-6, 6-2, [14-12].
Women: Second round: Garbine Muguruza w/o. Amanda Anisimova; Jelena Ostapenko bt Timea Babos 6-4, 6-4; Beatriz Haddad Maia bt Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-2; Sofia Kenin bt Daria Kasatkina 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Petra Kvitova bt Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Elina Svitolina bt Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2; Venus Williams bt Natalia Vikhlyantseva 7-5, 6-4; Danielle Collins bt Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; Donna Vekic bt Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1.
