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- Roberto Bautista Agut stuns Novak Djokovic to book place in Qatar ExxonMobil Open Final
Roberto Bautista Agut stuns Novak Djokovic to book place in Qatar ExxonMobil Open Final
Roberto Bautista Agut books place in Qatar Open Final at the expense of Number 1 seed Novak Djokovic
World Number 24 Roberto Bautista Agut came from a set down against World Number 1 Novak Djokovic to sensationally seal his place in the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Saturday evening. The Spaniard played some of the best tennis of career to see off the Serbian superstar who smashed his racquet in frustration in the second set 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
The World Number one was imperious in the first set and looked composed through breaking his opponent in the second game and holding his serve to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Bautista Agut showed glimpses of troubling Djokovic, but the World Number One held his nerve in the final game to fight back from 30-0 down to take the first set 6-3 in just 39 minutes.
Into the second the second set and the number seven seed began to frustrate Djokovic. At first, it was all Djokovic with a masterful drop shot handed the number one seed the second game. Djokovic showed a uncharacteristic wobble and survived two break points in the fourth to tie the contest at 2-2 in the second set.
The complexion of the contest changed in the seventh game of the set proved as Djokovic broke the number six seed 40-0 to take the upper hand of the tie.
Although Roberto Bautista quickly battled back and immediately broke back on his opponent, leaving the Serbian star smashing his racket in frustration, leaving the contest at 4-4 in the second set it would prove to be the beginning of his downfall. A hold of serve in the ninth game gave the Spaniard the upper hand and a 5-4 lead.
Djokovic held on, and survived from a set point down to level the contest at 5-5 as Roberto Bautista pulled off some amazing shots to frustrate the World Number one. Bautista held his service in the eleventh and had opportunities to take the set in the twelfth a missed dropped shot was perhaps his best opportunity to take the tie into a third set. Still, Djokovic endured and eventually won the twelfth game after nine minutes to set up the tie-break.
Into the tie-break and it was Roberto Bautista who held his nerve eventually winning the tie-break 8-5 after missing one chance to put the second set beyond doubt.
Bautista Agut was in the ascendency and decisively broke Djokovic in the second set to seal his place in a first-ever Qatar ExxonMobil Open final. The Spaniard will play the winner of tonight’s second semi-final between Marco Cecchinato & Tomáš Berdych.