Istomin stuns Djokovic in Melbourne

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open after going down in five sets to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.

Djokovic was below his best during the second round contest and he was made to pay by the world number 177, who prevailed 7-6 5-7 2-6 7-6 6-4 in four hours and 48 minutes.

There was a sign of things to come as early as the first game when Djokovic was forced to save six break points in a game that last 16 minutes and his battle continued throughout the set as Istomin threatened his serve time and again.

The breakthrough came in the seventh game but Istomin was unable to consolidate his advantage, allowing Djokovic back into the set and a tie-break was needed to settle the issue.

Despite moving 4-1 clear, Djokovic was unable to see it through as Istomin battled back to clinch the tie-break and with it the first set in just under 90 minutes.

The second set was just as intense as the first and Istomin should have move two sets clear as he forced two break points on the Djokovic serve, The world number two, however, held serve and it fired him on to take the set and level the match.

Having lost the second set it looked as though Istomin would crumble and there were ominous signs as Djokovic took the third to move ahead for the first time in the match.

However, Istomin refused to be beaten and he broke his opponent at the start of the fourth set to swing the momentum in his favour. He moved 4-1 up but again Djokovic managed to fight his way back into it to force a tie-break, which Istomin won to take the match into a deciding set.

Crucially Djokovic was broken in the sixth game of the fifth set and he was unable to find his way back into the match as Istomin hung on to record a famous victory and send his opponent crashing out of a grand slam in the second round for the first time since Wimbledon in 2008.

"He deserved to win. No doubt, he was a better player in the clutch moments," Djokovic said.

"Many things came together for him today and he's a well-deserved winner. There's not much I could do."

The winner added: "It is the biggest win (of my career) for me and means so much, now I feel I can play with these guys and be with them on the same level,.

"From the third set I had cramp in my leg, I don't know how I held it. I was playing so good. I surprised myself."

Meanwhile, Ivo Karlovic is through to the third round after a straight sets win over Australian wildcard Andrew Whittington.

The Croatian faced five break points throughout the second round match but he managed to save every single one of them on his way to a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win to set up an encounter with David Goffin.

Sixth seed Gael Monfils is also through to the third round thanks to his 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-0 defeat of Alexandr Dolgopolv.

Despite dropping a set, the Frenchman was pleased with the way in which he recovered to progress to the next round.

“He surprised me a lot, the first game of the third set to get to break point. He crushed his forehand flat and fast,” Monfils said of his opponent. “(But) I wasn't worried so much because I knew that he could be like this for 20 minutes (but) had to keep going and making the shots.

“Somehow I just put a bit more pressure on him in the fourth set.”

David Ferrer also needed four sets to seal his place in the next round with the 21st seed overcoming Ernesto Escobedo 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-2. Next up for the Spaniard is a meeting with 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov defeated Hyeon Chung 1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4, while Richard Gasquet dropped just three games as he defeated Carlos Berlocq 6-1 6-1 6-1.

More to follow

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