Following his poor performance against and surprise loss to David Ferrer on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic now needs to defeat his countryman Janko Tipsarevic to guarantee progression to the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals. Tipsarevic is 0-2 after inheriting Andy Murray’s loss and cannot advance, but that’s unlikely to stop him from trying to play spoiler.
Djokovic Vs. Tipsarevic, ATP World Tour Finals 2011: Djoker Needs A Win Over Countryman
The two players have only met three times, with Djokovic winning all three matches. The most recent of those was at the U.S. Open, where Tipsarevic unfortunately sustained an injury after a thrilling start. The players split the first two sets, both winning a set by tiebreak before a thigh injury derailed Tipsarevic. He lost the third set 6-0 and retired at 3-0 in the fourth.
If Djokovic loses, he could still advance with a David Ferrer win later if the tiebreaker falls his way. However, that’s far from set in stone, and he probably needs a win.
For more on the tournament, check out our ATP World Tour Finals 2011 StoryStream. Check out SB Nation’s Tennis Hub for more around the world of tennis.
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