Djokovic Forced To Retire In Dubai
World number one Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from the Dubai Tennis Championships after losing the first set to Feliciano Lopez in the quarter-finals.
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The Serbian ace was suffering from an issue with his eye from the start of the game, and after losing the first set 6-3 to his opponent, Djokovic opted to withdraw from the tie.
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Having already secured 700 career wins, Djokovic narrowly missed out on Rafael NadalÛªs record of being the youngest tennis player to achieve it, and has now had to deal with the blow of missing out on making his 18th successive Tour final.
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According to the BBC, the 11-time major champion made a stunning 18 unforced errors during the first set, and admitted that the issue has become worse since his arrival in Dubai.
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He said: “It started with an infection and then severe allergy.
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“I have had it ever since I arrived in Dubai. It’s gotten worse in the last two days, unfortunately. It’s the first time that I have had such a problem with the eye. It was ultra-sensitive today.”
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Lopez will now go on to play Marcos Baghdatis in the next round.
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