Nole suffered his third loss this season.
Novak’s Srpska Open campaign was ended on Friday when he fell to compatriot Dusan Lajovic in quarter-final action, 4-6, 6-7 (6), in two hour and 29 minutes.
The two players had exchanged breaks once in the opener before Lajovic moved 5-4 ahead to give himself the chance to serve for the first set. The no.3 racquet of Serbia saved three break points before closing it out after exactly one hour.
The second set went to a tie-break. Novak was leading 6-3, but he could not capitalise on the set points. Lajovic won five points in a row to seal the biggest win of his career.
The 22-time major champion converted just one of his 16 break point chances. He now holds a 17-3 W/L record in 2023.
Match statistics: aces (3-3), double faults (2-0), total points won (89-98).
Novak is searching for his best form ahead of the second Grand Slam event of the season, the Roland Garros.
The Serbian and world no.1 will head to Rome for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (May 10 – May 21), where he was triumphant six times (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2022).
Last year, he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final (6-0, 7-6).
Photos: Srpska Open
