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“Sorry for Screaming”: Novak Djokovic Displays Sportsmanship Spirit, Apologizes to Chair Umpire for Outburst at Italian Open 2021
World number one Novak Djokovic, who is yet to win a clay-court title this year, has made a winning start to his Italian Open campaign as he defeated the American Taylor Fritz 6-3,7-6(5) in a rain-delayed contest.
Novak Djokovic won the first set comfortably as he didn’t give any room for Fritz to capitalize. Both Djokovic and Fritz had a drama-filled matchup at the Australian Open this year, where the Serb clinched the victory in a five-setter.
Novak Djokovic had an outburst chair umpire at the Italian Open
Coming to today’s match in Rome, the Serb was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second. By that time, there was moderate rain, and the court was partially wet. Djokovic couldn’t keep up the intensity in his serve due to the slippery conditions and lost the game to Fritz.
The Serb was intensely disappointed and grunted at the umpire for not suspending the game soon enough.
However, when the match resumed after the rain stopped, Novak Djokovic apologized to the chair umpire as he was heard saying, “Sorry for screaming at you”.
Djokovic apologized to the umpire after the rain delay. He can be heard saying:”sorry for screaming at you.” #IBI21 pic.twitter.com/3bBGH4bvtO
— Tennis GIFs
(@tennis_gifs) May 11, 2021
Djokovic had similar outbursts in the past as well
The world number one finished the business without any trouble in the tie-breaker of the second set. Even though Fritz tried his best to stay close in the breaker, Djokovic’s near-perfect tennis gave no chance to the American.
As talented as he is on-court, the Serb remains a trouble-maker at times, especially when things don’t go his way during a tennis match. From the viewers’ perspective, it feels that Djokovic needs an outburst in crucial matches to bounce back and play his style of tennis.
However, the Serb always maintained that it was his way of dealing with the on-court pressure. Keeping aside the occasional outbursts, Djokovic has always embraced his shortcomings, and it is one of the many reasons why fans adore him across the globe.
Note that there are also instances where Djokovic displayed sportsmanship towards his opponents and appreciated them genuinely at the handshake post the match.
The Serb plays the winner of the matchup between Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Cameron Norrie for a place in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open.
The post “Sorry for Screaming”: Novak Djokovic Displays Sportsmanship Spirit, Apologizes to Chair Umpire for Outburst at Italian Open 2021 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
