Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in Saudi Arabia.
The Spaniard triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in pre-Australian Open exhibition.
To kick off the new season, the world no.1 and the world no.2 faced off in the Saudi desert for the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup.
Alcaraz broke in the opening game, only for Novak to reply with two breaks of his own to take the first set 6-4.
The Serbian star lost his serve again early in the second set, and this time Alcaraz held his nerve to level the contest.
In the deciding third set, the two rivals had traded break once before Alcaraz sealed a decisive second break in the ninth game and then closed out the match.
Novak will represent Team Serbia at the United Cup (December 29 – January 7), a mixed teams event. He will team up with Olga Danilovic.
Djokovic will be heading to Perth, Australia, for Group E matches against China and the Czech Republic.
Schedule of Novak’s matches in Group E:
Sunday, 31st December (10:00 CET):
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) vs. Zhizen Zhang (China)
Tuesday, 2nd January (about 05:00 CET)
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) vs. Jiri Lehecka (Czech Republic)
Quarter-final will also take place in Perth, while Sydney will host the semi-final and final matches.
Photo: RiyadhSeason
