Top-ranked Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Rio Olympics after suffering a shocking defeat at the hands of Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of men's singles event at the Olympic Tennis Centre.
Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, claimed a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2) win over the Serbian superstar in a hugely entertaining match of superb quality, Sport24 reported.
The 27-year-old Argentine held his nerve in both tie-breakers to prevail over Djokovic, who was still left seeking his first Olympic gold medal.
In the 2012 London Olympics, del Potro had defeated Djokovic to clinch the bronze medal.
Del Potro endured a string of wrist injuries during his heydays and as a result he is currently ranked just 145th in the world.
He then made his return at Wimbledon this year, which was his first appearance in a major tournament in two-and-half-years.
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