“It’s very sad when one of the greatest players ever has to retire from a match like that”, said Lopez, who moves on to face Marcos Baghdatis in the semi-finals.
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However, he quit the match after the Spaniard closed out the first set 6-3.
Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios set up an eagerly-anticipated clash in the Dubai Duty Free Championships with victories in their respective quarter-finals on Thursday.
Kyrgios collected his first Tour title in last week’s Marseille Open and needed just over an hour to defeat his Kazakh opponent.
The loss is Djokovic’s first match retirement since 2011 and ends a run of 17 straight match wins for the Aussie Open champion.
DOHA: The remaining top seed at the Qatar Open, Agnieszka Radwanska, avoided the fate of numerous other top players in Doha and eased through to the final eight on Wednesday. I can not be happier with this performance.
“I know he likes playing here and likes the conditions”, Djokovic said, reports the ATP’s official website.
“Things didn’t feel right in any way for me today”. He was chasing a fifth Dubai title in 8 years.
Djokovic is the third active player to pass the milestone, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer (1,067) and Rafael Nadal (775). “He’s very talented. Hopefully he enjoyed his experience playing tonight, and I did certainly”.
The Australian, making his debut at the tournament in Dubai, received treatment on his back while up a break and leading 3-2 in the first set.
Kyrgios took 41 minutes to win the first set but dominated in the second, losing only three points on serve as he rolled to the win, finishing with a 10th ace. Baghdatis upset fourth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 7-5, 6-0. He’s playing his best tennis. “Obviously, I think I’ve matured a lot from past year”.
“It’s good to have a chance to play better tomorrow”.
It is the first time in four tournaments this season that Japan’s Nishikori has not reached at least the quarterfinals.
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He will next face 144th-ranked Thomas Fabbiano after the Italian defeated Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 6-4.
