Luca Nardi's Stunning Victory Over Djokovic at Indian Wells

Luca Nardi won the first set 6-4 but is losing 2-0 in the second. The feat of beating Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells was not yet accomplished. He is down a break but has the ball for the counterbreak. The world number one is serving but misses the first. On the second attempt, however, something unusual happens. The ball is in, but for the Italian, it could have been out. Thus Nardi hesitates, responds but stops for a second, as if convinced of a new error and therefore of the Serbian's double fault. His response, albeit without "aggressiveness", crosses the net but Djokovic is then surprised. He stops too. But the ball is still in play, Nardi immediately recovers and scores the point to the astonishment of the Serbian. It's 2-1 and it's back "on serve", that is, towards balance. Luca Nardi, feat at Indian Wells: beats Djokovic in 3 sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) and flies to the round of 16. "I'm speechless, Nole is my idol". But the world number one does not take it well and protests with the chair umpire. The show begins. "He hit the ball and stopped, he literally stopped", exclaims Djokovic. "He stopped", he insists. The umpire maintains Olympian calm and tries to explain: "He reacted as if he was calling the ball out, but he didn't call it. He didn't stop the point". "He stopped", Nole continues. "Just because he stopped doesn't mean the point was stopped", the chair umpire further explains. "What are you talking about?", asks Djokovic. "He didn't have a reaction, he stopped, confused me and I stopped too. Are you kidding me?". The epilogue: "What do you want me to do?", the umpire responds ironically. "Just because he 'rose' with his body doesn't mean I have to replay the point". Nole is not satisfied and continues his protest: "He thought the ball was out and stopped". The chair umpire is unyielding: "I understand your point of view but I can't consider it an obstacle. My decision is that there are no grounds to replay the point. If he had called the ball out, I would have agreed with you 100%, but he didn't". Nardi observes, in silence. Perhaps out of respect for the world number one. The moral? Point awarded to the Italian and counterbreak secured.