ROME — Novak Djokovic slumped to an early elimination from the Italian Open, crumbling to a second-round defeat at the hands of qualifier Dino Prizmic which leaves question marks about his physical condition ahead of Roland Garros.
Tennis icon Djokovic was sent packing by big-hitting Croatian Prizmic, who claimed the biggest scalp of his young career with a stunning 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win on centre court in Rome, AFP reported.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, was making his comeback from a shoulder injury in the last big tournament before the French Open, which starts later this month.
And the world number four was unsure as to whether he would be back to his best for the clay-court Grand Slam, simply saying “I hope so” when asked by reporters whether Paris would see the all-conquering “Nole” of old.
“Let’s see what happens,” said Djokovic, who lamented persistent physical problems in the twilight of his stellar career.
“I don’t recall the last time in the last couple of years of preparation where I didn’t have any physical issues coming into a tournament,” said Djokovic.
“It’s always something, it’s kind of a new reality that I have to deal with.”
