“Was Stressed Out”: Novak Djokovic Opens Up on Rain Break in Win Over Taylor Fritz at Italian Open 2021

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has shared his thoughts on the rain break during his Rome opener against American Taylor Fritz.

Persistent drizzle during the third-round clash saw the chair umpire finally call a halt to play halfway through the second set.

The World No.1 was leading by a set when covers came on and the players headed indoors. However, the match was witness to an unsavory incident before rain stopped play.

Novak Djokovic screamed at chair umpire for allowing play despite rain

Djokovic lost his cool and screamed at the chair umpire for allowing play to continue despite the raindrops getting heavier.

Later, speaking to reporters about the incident, the Serb defended the umpire’s decision to suspend play even as conceded that emotions got the better of him as he failed to close out the match and the rainfall got heavier.

“I was stressed out in the end obviously, but I think it was the right call to stop the match,” Djokovic said.

Djoko says game was evenly poised when it resumed

The Serbian added that when play resumed, the second set was evenly poised and he did well to eventually get a result in his favor in straight sets.

“When I came back, I thought we were quite even actually till the last point. I’m glad that I managed to finish off this match in straight sets,” the reigning Australian Open champion said.

Further conceding that he wasn’t at his best, Djokovic said he would work on his game in practice and ensure that he brings a better version of himself to the park in a day’s time.

He will play Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals. The Serb hasn’t had the best of campaigns on clay thus far, coming into the Italian Open on the back of two straight exits at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Serbia Open.

Read More: “They Will Take Over”: Novak Djokovic Impressed By Thiem, Tsitsipas, Zverev and Other Next-Gens

The 33-year-old went down in straight sets to British No.1 Dan Evans in the Principality and followed up with an unthinkable defeat in his homeland in an epic semi-final against Russian Aslan Karatsev.