Djokovic loses to Tirante at Cincinnati Masters

Novak Djokovic lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Argentine Thiago Tirante in his opening match at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Saturday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion struggled with heat and humidity, doubling over and dropping to his hands and knees between points before taking a medical timeout after an 18-minute second-set game.

Tirante, ranked 95th, broke Djokovic four times on nine deuces in that game. After the second set both players cooled off in the locker room. Djokovic recovered slightly in the decider but a drop shot error on match point ended his campaign.

The Serb now must regroup before the US Open, which starts on August 30.