Tommy Robredo beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 (6), 7-5 in the round of 16 at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Too bad I did not wager on tennis this time as this was only the second time Robredo defeats a top ranked player. It would have been a big gain.
Nole dropped the first set after fighting back from a 6-3 deficit in the tiebreaker but Robredo took it with an ace.
Robredo failed to convert two match points before completing the victory with a slam on Djokovic's short lob.
The Spaniar will next play against David Ferrer, who beat Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-0
"It's happened only two times in 13, 14 years of my career, so I have to be very, very happy. Obviously right now I'm still in the tournament [so] the important thing is to try to keep winning.
"But when I finish my career and when I will be sitting at home and talking with friends, I will remember days like this. I beat Hewitt in Paris a long time ago. Now I beat [Djokovic]. Last year I beat Roger in the US Open in a great match. There are a couple of matches that will be in my memory for years."
"I knew that if I wanted to win I had to go for it and try to hope that he will not play his best match," Robredo added. "Both things happen and then I could win."
"It's disappointing that I'm finishing Cincinnati again with a tough loss, but it's the sport," said Djokovic. "I didn't play well in Toronto, didn't play well here. Hopefully, it's going to be different in New York (at the U.S. Open)."
"Just many, many, many things are not clicking these two weeks on hard courts," said Djokovic. "It's unfortunate, but it's more than obvious I'm not playing even close to what I'm supposed to play. I have to keep on working and trying to get better for US Open."
Roger Federer batlle past Gael Monfils 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and will next face Andy Murray, who defeated John Isner 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Late in the match Federer had a little argument with the chair umpire over a decision not to call on electronic line-calling on a particular point but he showed great tennis and that he is still at the top of the game.
"I'm just happy the way I'm playing right now," Federer said. "It was much better than the last couple of matches.
"I was hitting good forehands, not making so many mistakes, returning better," he added. "So there was a lot of positives out in the match. Sometimes frustration, but sometimes that's what Gael does to you."
Photo by AP
