Novak Djokovic smashed his racquet, angrily tore his shirt and raged at the chair umpire as he was stunned in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals by Roberto Bautista on Saturday.
The defending champion and 12-time Grand Slam winner was broken once in the first set and three times in the second as he lost 6-4, 6-4 in his first defeat to the Spaniard.
The world number one has been out of sorts since he won his first French Open title in June, losing early at Wimbledon and the Olympics and complaining he had lost motivation.
The 29-year-old Serb, whose top ranking is under threat from Andy Murray, hummed to keep up his spirits during his quarter-final escape against German qualifier Mischa Zverev.
But the three-time champion failed to keep his cool in a stormy appearance at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Tennis Centre as his nosedive in form continued.
Djokovic later admitted he "didn't feel good" mentally, and it showed as he continued his tirade at Brazilian chair umpire Carlos Bernardes.
"I just don't understand, you know, the decisions that he has made," Djokovic grumbled to media.
"When you go to change your racquet, I went to change my (ripped) shirt and then he gives me a warning. Well, he was the star of the show. That's what he wanted to be today."
Tempers frayed
Nineteenth-ranked Bautista put away two brilliant forehands as he fought off break points in the ninth game, and he then pounced as Djokovic was serving to stay in the first set.
A sublime disguised lob set up break point and when Djokovic fired wide to hand over the set, he snapped and repeatedly slammed his racquet into the deck.
Djokovic grabbed a towel and cleaned up his racquet splinters as the second set got underway, but tempers frayed again at 1-1 over a serve he felt was long.
"Are you seeing anything today? Are you seeing anything?" fumed the Serb, gesticulating at Bernardes.
Then Djokovic, angry at failing to secure a break point in game five, theatrically tore his shirt at the neck and went to change it mid-game, receiving a time violation warning.
They exchanged breaks before Djokovic was broken again to be left staring at defeat -- only to save three match points before getting it back on serve in a tense game nine.
But a forehand into the net brought up a fourth match point on his own serve, and this time Bautista grabbed the opportunity as he arrowed a pass down the line.
"I'm so happy," said Bautista, who had lost all five previous matches against Djokovic and is now in his first Masters final.
"I'm just so happy how I've played this week. I'm feeling really good on this court and I hope to enjoy it until the last point here."
Murray, the world number two, and Gilles Simon play later to decide who will meet Bautista in Sunday's final.
Djokovic was seeking his 11th title in China -- where he has never lost a final -- after winning three Shanghai Masters, six China Opens and the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup.
AFP
Sat Oct 15 2016
Djokovic peeks out of his shirt during his men's singles semifinals match against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on Oct 15, 2016. - AFP
EPL: Kai Havertz pastikan Arsenal menang bergaya tewaskan Chelsea
Kemenangan itu meletakkan Arsenal tiga mata di hadapan Liverpool yang kini berada di tangga kedua dengan bermain lebih satu perlawanan.
Tesla mula jual robot Optimus menjelang akhir tahun depan - Elon Musk
Beberapa syarikat telah mempertaruhkan robot humanoid untuk penuhi potensi kekurangan tenaga kerja dan melaksanakan tugas berulang.
Cedera terkena letupan, padah tendang bendera Palestin
Letupan kuat dan asap tebal memenuhi lokasi tersebut sejurus dia menendang bendera Palestin yang dipasang di tengah kawasan padang rumput.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [24 April 2024]
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Geegee Ahmad & Azib Zikry;
Nahas helikopter Lumut: ATM, TLDM tubuh Lembaga Siasatan
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan
Hafizul terlibat kes tembak KLIA akan didakwa hari ini
Nahas helikopter Lumut: ATM, TLDM tubuh Lembaga Siasatan
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan
Hafizul terlibat kes tembak KLIA akan didakwa hari ini
Azerbaijan minta ICJ teruskan kes terhadap Armenia
Ia adalah salah satu daripada dua kes yang dilakukan oleh musuh negara jiran selama berdekad-dekad konflik etnik sesama mereka.
Fahami pasaran sebelum perjalanan pemula niaga adalah penting - Pengasas
Peralihan daripada usahawan solo kepada ketua yang boleh membina dan meneraju pasukan juga penting.
AWANI Ringkas: Bedah siasat 10 mangsa dijangka selesai hari ini
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
'Laporan kubur besar Gaza membimbangkan' - Jurucakap AS
Pekerja kesihatan Gaza menemui sekurang-kurangnya 283 mayat dalam satu kubur besar di Hospital Nasser di bandar selatan Khan Younis.
PETRA di landasan tepat capai 98 peratus liputan air bersih, pembentungan di luar bandar
Kementerian Peralihan Tenaga dan Transformasi Air (PETRA) berada di landasan tepat untuk mencapai 98 peratus liputan air bersih dan pembetungan di kawasan luar bandar menjelang akhir 2025.
Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan, dijangka berlepas pada Jumaat
Misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla yang dijadualkan memulakan pelayaran pada 24 April 2024 (Rabu) sekali lagi ditangguhkan ke 26 April 2024 (Jumaat).
Djokovic tewas peringkat separuh akhir Tenis Terbuka Australia
Novak Djokovic tumpas kepada pemain Itali Jannik Sinner di peringkat separuh akhir kejohanan Terbuka Australia.
Tenis Terbuka Australia: Djokovic berang provokasi 'sang pengecut'!
Djokovic sedikit terusik dengan kata-kata nista yang seakan cuba untuk merapuhkan semangat berkobar-kobar juara 10 kali kejohanan itu.
Piala Davis: Jannik Sinner bantu Itali julang kejuaraan pertama sejak 1976
Pemain nombor empat dunia itu menewaskan Djokovic dan kemudiannya Alex De Minaur pada hari Ahad untuk meraih kemenangan 2-0.
Djokovic menang jelajah akhir ATP ketujuh di Itali
Novak Djokovic memenangi kejuaraan Jelajah Akhir ATP ketujuhnya dengan penuh bergaya, menewaskan pemain tuan rumah Jannik Sinner.
Sensasi gelaran Grand Slam ke-24 Djokovic
Pemain Serbia itu menewaskan Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Tenis Terbuka AS: Daniil Medvedev kejutkan Carlos Alcaraz untuk ke final
Daniil Medvedev mencipta kejutan dalam Kejohanan Tenis Terbuka Amerika Syarikat apabila menumbangkan juara bertahan Carlos Alcaraz.
Terbuka AS: Novak Djokovic ke final singkir wakil muda tuan rumah
Djokovic hanya dibezakan satu lagi kemenangan untuk menjulang gelaran dalam kejohanan utama buat kali ke-24.
Tenis Terbuka Amerika Syarikat: Djokovic masih berbisa
Pemain sensasi, Novak Djokovic berada dalam kelas tersendiri mara ke pusingan ketiga Terbuka Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Terbuka AS: Djokovic catat kemenangan, teratas ranking dunia
Novak Djokovic menewaskan Alexandre Muller 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 ketika kembali ke Terbuka AS pada Isnin malam sekali gus berada di kedudukan teratas ranking dunia.
Kejohanan Wimbledon: Djokovic didenda gara-gara hempas raket ketika tewas aksi final
Novak Djokovic didenda sebanyak AS$8,000 (RM36,280) gara-gara menghempas raketnya ke tiang jaring sewaktu perlawanan final Kejohanan Tenis Wimbledon minggu lalu.