Dusan Lajovic saved 15 of the 16 break points he faced to upset his compatriot Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-6 (8-6) to reach the semifinal at the Srpska Open in Banja Luka.
Lajovic, who reached the final in Monte-Carlo in 2019, won his first match against a world number 1 player.
Lajovic broke serve in the third game and saved break points in the next game to hold serve for 3-1.
Lajovic fended off four break points in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead.
Djokovic broke serve in the eighth game before dropping serve in the next game to trail 4-5. Lajovic fended off in the 10th game to close out the first set 6-4.
Both players held on their serve, as they saved five break points of the second set. Lajovic was not able to convert three break points at 4-4 Djokovic came back from 40-0 down in the ninth game to hold serve at deuce forcing the set to a tie-break. Djokovic earned three set points at 6-3 in the tie-break. Lajovic saved them and reeled off five consecutive points, including a 15-ball rally at 7-6 to close out the tie-break 8-6 after 2 hours and 29 minutes.
“I am overwhelmed. It is the biggest win of my career. The emotions are very mixed because I am playing here in front on the home town and I am playing against Novak who is a good friend. He is a hero of our country. Beating him, it’s something that I did not even think is going to be possible, but it happened”, said Lajovic.
Lajovic set up an all-Serbian semifinal against Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-0.
Last week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Andrey Rublev extended his winning streak to seven consecutive matches with a 7-5 6-3 win over Damir Dzumhur.
Rublev came back from 2-5 down in the first set, before saving one set point at 4-5 and clinched the first set 7-5 with a break in the 11the game. The Russian player saved all four break points he faced in the second set before sealing the the second set 6-3 with a break in the ninth game.
“We have always had tough battles and today was the same. I was losing 2-5 and I was able to come back. It was a tough match. A lot of long games and a lot of long rallies but in the end I was able to win and that is the most important thing”, said Rublev.
