Novak Djokovic’s historic streak of 17 consecutive tournament final appearances was halted Thursday when he was forced to retire after one set in his quarterfinal matchup at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
World No. 1 @DjokerNole retires vs. @Feliciano_Lopez in #DDFTennis QFs — his 1st RET or W/O since 2011. Snaps streak of 17 straight finals.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) February 25, 2016
Djokovic earned his 700th ATP win in the previous match, but he left Thursday’s contest because of eye issues.
Feliciano Lopez says Djokovic was struggling with an eye infection/contact lens problem #DDFT
— Sport360° (@Sport360) February 25, 2016
Djokovic’s opponent, Feliciano Lopez, will move on to the semifinal round. The outcome also ends the Serbian’s seven-match win streak versus Lopez.
Djokovic also has reached five consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament finals. He won all of them except the 2015 French Open. His pursuit of a calendar Grand Slam will continue May 16 when the French Open commences at Roland Garros.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
