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Djokovic Beaten, Sabalenka Advances At Brisbane International (Ld)
Opelka, the big-serving American, hit 16 aces on the way to claiming the biggest victory of his career in his first-ever ATP head-to-head series match against Djokovic. "The reality is we had nothing to lose coming in against him. He's the greatest player ever so you end up playing more free and you take a lot more risk because it's your only chance. If you play at your normal level, he's going to win every time," Opelka said on court after the match.
The result leaves the 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic with 99 career singles titles heading into the Australian Open, which he has won a record 10 times, reports Xinhua. Opelka will match up against another powerful server, France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, while second seed and reigning champion Grigor Dimitrov will face Jiri Lehecka.
