Advertisement

Australian Open: Laughing Djokovic insists he has not lost his edge and played 'with intensity'

Novak Djokovic has come out fighting after suggestions he had lost his edge following his shock Australian Open exit.

The Serbian crashed out in round two in Melbourne after being stunned by wildcard entrant and world number 117 Denis Istomin and was seen laughing and joking with his opponent at one stage.

Istomin defied his lowly ranking to defeat the 12-time Grand Slam winner 7-6, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a thrilling five-set match.

Djokovic, who has won five of the last six titles in Melbourne, is struggling to find form since his victory at the French Open last year.

Read More: The biggest shocks in sporting history in pictures.

Since that triumph, he has lost his spot at world number one and suffered embarrassing defeats at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open before this latest setback.

Winning at the French gave Djokovic the complete set, leading to claims it had affected his motivation, but the man himself has urged his fans to remain calm

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not a time now to go so deep into it.

“I didn’t reflect on that at all at this stage. I started a new season, a new year, as everybody else did. I forgot about it, in a way. It’s not affecting me.

“On any given day, you can lose. I mean, nothing is impossible.

“There is over a hundred players playing in the main draw. I guess the quality of tennis keeps rising each year. Everybody becomes more professional. I guess they improve.

“They get better on the court. What can I do? I did try my best till the last shot, but it didn’t work.”

Djokovic is known for his iron will and steely determination but there were times at the Rod Laver Arena where he seemed much more jovial than usual.

That only added to the question marks over his lack of competitive edge, however the Serbian shrugged off more scrutiny from the media.

Djokovic did appear to lack intensity at times on Rod Laver Arena, laughing and joking with Istomin, and after a 16-minute opening game, telling his opponent “we may as well go straight to a tie-break”.

Djokovic insisted: “There was intensity, of course. We played four-and-a-half hours.

“It’s just one of these days when you don’t feel that great on the court, don’t have much rhythm, and the player you’re playing against is feeling the ball very well. That’s sport.

“Of course, I’m not used to losing in the Australian Open second round. I’ve always played so well. Through the last 10 years, I’ve won six titles here.

“This court has been so nice to me. I enjoyed it very much. Of course, it’s disappointing. But at the end of the day I have to accept it.”

Djokovic’s surprise exit leaves Andy Murray as the big favourite to clinch the crown while Istomin marches on to face 30th seed Pablo Carreno Busta.