Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open, beaten 7-6 (8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 by wild-card entry Denis Istomin in a second-round match on Thursday.

 

Istomin made the vital break in the fifth game of the deciding set, then held service the rest of the way in the marathon 4 hour, 48-minute match on Rod Laver Arena.

 

The match featured a little bit of everything.

 

In a 15-minute opening game, the six-time champion Djokovic saved six break points. In the second set, he appeared to hyperextend his left leg in the third game, and spent much of the following break stretching it over a chair.

 

In the 10th game of that set, Djokovic saved two sets points after serving a double-fault.

 

But Djokovic broke in the following game to lead 6-5, then held his service with four consecutive points to take the set.

 

Djokovic clinched the third set when he successfully challenged a line call.

 

Istomin had a set point in the 10th game of the fourth set, then went ahead 5-1 in the tiebreaker before slamming down an ace to send it to a fifth-set decider.