Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain reacts after defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in their ATP Qatar Open tennis semi-final match in Doha on January 4, 2019. KARIM JAAFAR / AFP
Spaniard, Roberto Bautista Agut yesterday in Doha beat world number one, Novak Djokovic, in the semi-finals of the Qatar Open.
The Wimbledon champion, twice a winner of the event, lost 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
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Agut, ranked 24, took the second-set tie-break on his fifth set point and then broke in the opening game of the decider, eventually sealing victory in two hours and 35 minutes.
In today’s final, he faces either wildcard Tomas Berdych, 33, now ranked 71, or 20th-ranked Marco Cecchinato.
It was only the second victory in nine matches against Djokovic for 30-year-old Bautista Agut, who has never progressed beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
Djokovic beat the Spaniard in four sets in last year’s French Open and he was a set up and serving at 4-3 in their latest encounter.
But Agut, winner of last year’s Dubai Championships, lost only five points on his serve in the final set and wrapped up the contest on his first match point.
