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.
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“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.
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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.