ALLEZ-JANDRO: Terrific Tabilo does it again! Novak Djokovic dumped out at Monte-Carlo Masters by Rome nemesis

Alejandro Tabilo famously downed Novak Djokovic last year at the Rome Open and a few weeks before that tournament happens again, he has vanquished the 24-time Grand Slam winner once more at the Monte-Carlo Masters 6-3, 6-4 in favour of the Chilean.

Tabilo has stagnated since his famous win propelled him but tennis is a funny game and he has once again risen to the occasion against the greatest player of the modern era.

He joins Marat Safin and Jiri Vesely as the three players who have faced Djokovic at least twice and never lost to him. It also continues a poor clay court run from Djokovic who lost on his Monte-Carlo return last year before desperately playing Geneva for game time.

He struggled losing to Tomas Machac after defeat to Casper Ruud prior in Monte-Carlo. He then lost to Tabilo comprehensively in a defeat which was marred by the fact that he had a bottle thrown at his head while signing autographs.

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He will play Madrid this year and then Rome but it is not the start he wanted especially in a confidence boosting time when he managed to rise to the occasion in Miami and reach the final losing to Jakub Mensik.

Perhaps he will be wishing now that he took the week off like his final opponent. Albeit perhaps the writing was on the wall in a win where he had no answer for Tabilo's prowess. Andy Murray isn't with him this week and so he is counting on his brother as a coach.

So when the chips are down, he cannot adapt especially to a game he has only faced once where he was defeated last year so comprehensively. Tabilo had his number last year and he does this year. It is back to the drawing board for Novak.

For Tabilo, it is Valentin Vacherot or Grigor Dimitrov in a real good draw for him to try and reach the latter stages and he will hope this propels him after an abysmal year.

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