Djokovic: “It’s been an emotional few days and I want to thank everyone who made this possible.”Â
Last Updated: 14/06/20 10:44pm
Novak Djokovic was in tears after winning his final round robin match at the charity tournament he hosted
Novak Djokovic was in tears as the charity event he hosted at his tennis complex in Serbia came to an end on Sunday.
The World No 1 missed out on Sunday’s Adria Tour final, in which Dominic Thiem beat Serbian Filip Krajinovic 4-3 2-4 4-2.
But the event brought back a flood of memories for 17-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who staged the exhibition while international tennis remains suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Djokovic beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev on Sunday in his last round robin match but failed to secure a place in the final.
Dominic Thiem completed an undefeated weekend
As he received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd of 4,000, he said: “I am not crying because I got knocked out of the tournament, I am just overwhelmed by emotion because this reminds me of my childhood.
“It’s been an emotional few days and I want to thank everyone who made this possible.
“I love you all and thank you so much for turning up.”
Djokovic and Krajinovic ended up with 2-1 win-loss records and an identical 5-3 set difference in their round robin group.
Krajinovic, who defeated Djokovic on Saturday, squeezed through on the basis of having the best games differential, only to be beaten by Thiem in the final.
Thiem finished with a 100 per cent record and said: “This tournament was for a good cause and we all gave our best.
“Many high quality matches in a great atmosphere, in front of a full crowd, so it was a perfect weekend.
“A very big thank you to everyone including Novak and his team, you all made my first trip to Serbia a very special one.”
The eight-man tournament featured a more streamlined format than is seen on the main tour, with sets cut to best-of-seven games.
The second leg of the tour will be held in Croatia’s coastal resort Zadar next weekend.
The third leg, due in Montenegro on June 27 and 28, was called off on Saturday due to coronavirus concerns, and the final leg is set for Bosnia’s Banja Luka on July 3 and 4.
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