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Top seed Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Brisbane International in a straight-set quarter-final defeat by Reilly Opelka.<\/b><\/p>\n
Djokovic, chasing his 100th ATP title, went neck-and-neck with the American in the first set before Opelka eased to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 victory in one hour and 40 minutes.<\/p>\n
Opelka, 27, will now face France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who beat Jakub Mensik 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to reach the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
“[Djokovic] is the greatest tennis player ever. But it’s difficult being in his position,” said Opelka, who is ranked 293rd in the world. <\/p>\n
“The reality is we have nothing to lose against him, so you end up playing more freely and taking a lot more risks because it’s your only chance. If you play your normal level, he wins every time.”<\/p>\n
Opelka, who was sidelined for almost two years since 2022 after undergoing hip and wrist surgeries, is looking to win his fifth career title in Brisbane.<\/p>\n
“It was tough. There were a lot of uncertainties and doubt,” added Opelka.<\/p>\n
“I watched a lot of my friends on TV which was fun, motivating and kept me interested in the sport. I also watched Novak become the greatest during that period.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic will shift his focus to winning a 11th Australian Open (12-26 January) title under his new coach Andy Murray<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the other Brisbane semi-final, defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, who received a walkover after Jordan Thompson retired hurt, will face Jiri Lehecka, who beat Nicolas Jarry 6-4 6-4.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n