IMAGE: Italian Luca Nardi, who lost in the qualifers, described beating Novak Djokovic as ‘crazy’. Photograph: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
World number one Novak Djokovic was stunned 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 by lucky loser Luca Nardi in the third round of Indian Wells on Monday, a victory which the 20-year-old Italian described as a “miracle”.
Nardi, who grew up idolising Djokovic and is ranked 123rd in the world, played the match of his life to defeat the Serbian, dropping his racket and putting his hands over his face after firing an ace out wide to seal the win.
The defeat ends Djokovic’s bid for a record sixth title at the tournament in the California desert.
“This is a miracle,” said Nardi, who lost to David Goffin in qualifiers on Tuesday and only got into the main draw after Tomas Etcheverry withdrew due to injury.
“I’m a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world and I beat Novak. Crazy. Just crazy.”
Nardi came out flying under the lights on centre court, drawing Djokovic to the net with a short ball and then rifling a forehand past him for an early break and a 3-2 lead.
IMAGE: Novak Djokovic in action during his third round match against Luca Nardi. Photograph: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Djokovic was well short of his best and a service return from the 24-times Grand Slam champion found the net to hand Nardi the first set.
The top seed broke Nardi twice in the second set and held at love to level the contest but his opponent, who had a poster of Djokovic on his wall growing up, refused to back down.
Nardi hit a backhand that Djokovic could not put back in play for a crucial break and a 4-2 advantage in the decider before pulling off the upset.
Nardi will next face American Tommy Paul.
IMAGE: France’s Gael Monfils hits a shot during his third round win over Britain’s Cameron Norrie. Photograph: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier, Gael Monfils produced a stunning display of shot-making and showmanship to rally from a set and 3-0 down to beat former champion Cameron Norrie 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-3 to reach the last 16.
The 37-year-old Frenchman electrified the crowd with his creativity to set up fourth round meeting with ninth seed Casper Ruud.
Norrie, who won the tournament in 2021, piled up 60 unforced errors and could not solve the unpredictable Monfils puzzle in the three hour and 15 minute affair.
“I feel better and better, to be honest,” said Monfils, who was sidelined with a wrist injury for part of last season.
“I’ve been playing weeks after weeks, which has been a long time I am able to do that. I feel good. So far the body is holding, so I’m happy with that.”
American Taylor Fritz, the tournament’s 2022 champion, breezed past Sebastian Baez 6-2 6-2 and Grigor Dimitrov’s career renaissance got another big lift with a 6-3 6-3 win over France’s Adrian Mannarino.
Seventh seed Holger Rune beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 7-6 (5) and 17th-seeded American Paul sailed past Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4 in other third-round action.
Sabalenka overpowers Raducanu, Osaka falls
IMAGE: Russia’s Aryna Sabalenka returns against USA’s Peyton Stearns in a 3rd set tiebreaker in her second round match. Photograph: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Aryna Sabalenka’s powerful serve and groundstrokes proved too much for Emma Raducanu as the Australian Open champion reached the fourth round at Indian Wells with a 6-3, 7-5 victory while Naomi Osaka fell to Elise Mertens in straight sets.
Britain’s former Grand Slam champion Raducanu is trying to find her form after multiple surgeries last year and played well but was unable to seize her opportunities, converting just one of 10 break points in her first meeting with Sabalenka.
The Belarusian, bedeviled by double faults in the past, issued one on her first match point but kept her composure and blasted a cross-court forehand winner on her fourth opportunity to seal the win under sunny skies in the California desert.
“I felt like the last game was kind of a key moment,” said Sabalenka, who is seeded second.
“If I would lose that game this would give her emotionally much more belief and confidence, and going to the tiebreak you never know. It’s like 50/50. I didn’t want that to happen,” she said.
“That’s why I felt a little bit of relief after I closed this match in two sets.”
Sabalenka, who won her second straight Australian Open in January, will face either Ukrainian Elina Svitolina or American Emma Navarro in the Round of 16.
Mertens held her nerve to send Osaka packing with a gutsy 7-5, 6-4 victory over the Japanese player, who returned to the WTA Tour in January after a maternity break.
The Belgian, seeded 24th, had to fend of break points in the final game but ultimately prevailed, jumping in the air after claiming one of the biggest wins of her career and reaching the Round of 16 at the tournament for the first time.
Mertens will face a stiff test when she takes on third seed Coco Gauff.
Gauff did not play her best tennis but still managed to dispatch Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the American’s last singles match as a teenager.
Bronzetti made the third seed work but Gauff saved 10 of the 11 break points she faced to advance to the fourth round where she faces Mertens, who has never beaten her.
“Every time I play her is a tough match,” Gauff said.
“I don’t recall any straightforward wins playing against her. Even though the record is 3-0, it could easily have been the opposite.
“She’s tough. She has good strokes and she can hit the ball clean, she can serve well, she makes you earn the match.”
