By Chris Oddo | Friday January 4, 2019
Roberto Bautista Agut delivered a magical performance to stun World No.1 Novak Djokovic and reach the finals of the Qatar Total Open in Doha on Friday, securing a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 victory for his second career victory over the two-time champion.
“I will remember this match all my life,” said a proud Bautista Agut after the match. “It was an unbelievable atmosphere—I work every day to play this tennis, I know it’s difficult to play at this level, that’s why Novak is No.1 in the world. I cannot be more happy than now.”
The Spaniard, who lost his father in 2018, signed the camera “to Papa” before conducting his post-match interview.
“I wanted to give everything I had in the match and to fight until the last point,” said Bautista Agut. “Novak was up and it was really tough. He was very solid and I had to play very good tennis. I had to play a lot of lines and serve very well. I did everything well today.”
Bautista Agut made 75 percent of his first serves and cracked 36 winners against 21 unforced errors in this compelling contest, while Djokovic hit 50 winners against 34 unforced.
After the World No.1 claimed the opener on the strength of a break in Bautista Agut’s opening service game, Bautista Agut turned up the heat and went toe-to-toe with Djokovic in a scintillating middle set.
Long, punishing rallies were the norm, and the two poked and prodded one another’s defense methodically, looking for clues.
There weren’t many lapses in the match, but Bautista Agut did slip in the third game of the second set when he made two easy misses on break points as Djokovic won four consecutive points to hold for 2-1.
But this was merely the first of many opportunities that Bautista Agut would earn over the course of the two hour and 35-minute battle.
Moments later when Bautista Agut was broken at love in the seventh game of the set it appeared that Djokovic would march to a straight-sets win.
But Bautista Agut had other ideas.
The World No.24 played one of the most fabulous points of the match at 3-4 deuce to earn a second break point of the game and then converted the break on the next point as Djokovic brutally slammed his racquet into the court in frustration.
Djokovic, who played three consecutive three setters in Doha as well as three three-set doubles matches with his brother Marko as his partner, received a code violation for his actions; Bautista Agut must have taken the whole incident as proof that he was starting to wear Djokovic down with his attack, because he kept it up brilliantly.
Djokovic saved three set points in his next two service games, and another in the second-set tiebreaker, but Bautista Agut would not be denied. He took the breaker as a Djokovic backhand clipped the net cord and didn’t make it over, and broke in the opening game of the third set for good measure.
Things were calmer in the decider, with Djokovic starting to wear the fatigue of a long week, and Bautista Agut cruising on serve, behind 80 percent first-serves made and only five points dropped.
The Spaniard held to 15, clinching victory as a Djokovic forehand sank into the net, and celebrating with his finger pointed to the sky.
It was an important victory for Bautista Agut, his second over a reigning World No.1, that highlighted his tenacity, world-class footwork, and jaw-dropping forehand. It snapped a run of nine straight losses against the ATP’s Top 5.
Bautista Agut will face a resurgent Tomas Berdych in the final at Doha. The Czech powered past Marco Cecchinato of Italy, 7-6(6), 6-3.