Djokovic loses to Theim at French Open

Since then he has bagged only two titles and in grand slam there has been a worrying decline. All the top players have been through [it].

“So what is being said is positive, but maybe I won’t be up to the challenge”.

The Serb was unable to cope with the power of 23-year-old Thiem, who hit 38 winners in total — 20 from his dominant forehand — to Djokovic’s 18.

This year, he’ll head to Wimbledon holding zero major titles.

Murray advanced to his fourth straight semi-final in Paris, defeating Nishikori to avenge his loss to the Japanese star at the US Open previous year.

“At the same time, I have responsibility to the game itself, towards others”.

Thiem pounced on his lifeline, taking the set after 73 minutes when the Serb dumped a backhand in the net.

Nadal reached the semi-finals after fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta withdrew from their match with an abdominal injury while trailing 2-6 0-2.

He now faces Rafael Nadal, whom he beat on the clay of Rome less than a month ago.

“But it’s great for me to be in the semi-finals again, to defend that”, added sixth seed Thiem who lost to Djokovic in the Paris semi-finals a year ago.

“Novak certainly has to make a clean cut”, said Becker, who helped guide Djokovic to six majors in three years, on Eurosport.

With the wind whipping at more than 15 miles per hour (25 kph), and the temperature in the low 50s (low teens Celsius), Djokovic was out of sorts in so many ways even before that 20-minute third set in which he won only 8 of 34 points.

Defeat underlines a turbulent 12 months for Djokovic in which he has won just two tournaments and suffered damaging defeats in a string events including at Wimbledon, the Rio Olympics, the US Open and the Australian Open.

Halep will meet second seed Pliskova for a place in Saturday’s final after the second defeated Garcia 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

“Rafa is the toughest opponent ever at Roland Garros“. ‘I don’t know exactly what they’ve been but they’ve affected him.

“She was playing tough, hard and strong”, Halep said.

“It’s incredible for me”, said Thiem after beating Djokovic. His influence and impact on my game, it’s gonna take time. I didn’t give up. “I have played good matches on the whole”. The final set, that’s all me.

Thiem had lost to the Serb in the semi-finals past year and took just one game in a straight-sets loss in Rome in May.

Svitolina, who had been two points from defeat in the fourth round against Petra Martic, finished the quarter-final with 45 unforced errors. In the finals there is another top star.

The Spaniard is the odds-on favourite to triumph at Roland Garros, but says people should not get ahead of themselves, pointing out that Thiem won their most recent meeting in Rome – Nadal’s only defeat on clay in 2017.