"This win is special because I grew up watching him and I'm a big fan of his" - Davidovich Fokina on win over Djokovic

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had won just seven games across two previous meetings with Novak Djokovic coming into yesterday but he banished those demons in style on with a stunning upset on the Monaco clay.

The Spaniard struck the ball with power and accuracy throughout the second-round clash, recovering from the disappointment of losing a tight second-set tie-break to clinch a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event. After the match he said:

"This win is so special for me because I grew up watching Nole and I'm a big fan of his. I look at him every tournament, every match. Here in Monte Carlo, full of people, against the No. 1, I enjoyed every moment and I'm so happy.”

He further said:

“I started [well] from the beginning because I knew that Nole [hasn’t played] a lot. Then I had to focus on every point because I had my chances from the beginning and I just did it. When he won the second set it was tough mentally, but I am working so hard to be more focused. It doesn't matter if I lost the second set or I lost the first set. I have to be prepared for the war.”

The Spaniard's return game proved crucial to his victory. According to Infosys ATP Stats, he won 45 per cent (34/76) of points against Djokovic’s first serve, numbers that enabled him to break the Serb nine times in the match.