Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo achieved a remarkable upset at the Rome Masters with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over the world No. 1, Novak Djokovic. Tabilo, who is seeded No. 29, will now progress to the last 16 and prepare to face Russian Karen Khachanov, the No. 16 seed, in the upcoming round.
This triumph signifies Tabilo’s first-ever win against a top 10 opponent and his second advancement to the fourth round of a Masters event, the most recent being in last year’s Indian Wells tournament.
In addition to this remarkable accomplishment, Tabilo holds the distinction of becoming the first Chilean man to defeat a reigning world No. 1 since Fernando Gonzalez defeated Roger Federer in 2007. Currently ranked No. 32, Tabilo is now focused on his upcoming match against Khachanov.
During the previous round of the Italian Open, Tabilo secured a victory against German Yannick Hanfmann with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4). Conversely, Djokovic managed to defeat French lucky loser Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1 in the second round but stumbled against Tabilo in the subsequent match.
Djokovic’s loss comes as a surprise, especially considering his previous less than convincing win against Moutet in the Italian Open. His lackluster performance against Tabilo, which concluded with a double fault, indicates a further decline in his playing.
In other third-round results at the Foro Italico clay court, several notable matchups are scheduled to take place, including Hamad Medjedovic vs. Daniil Medvedev, Tommy Paul vs. Dominik Koepfer, and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Cameron Norrie.
The upcoming matches promise more thrilling tennis action as the tournament progresses. With everything now up in the air, enthusiasts of the sport eagerly anticipate what the Rome Masters has in store for the tennis world.