Top-ranked Novak Djokovic wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6 7-5 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the Rome Masters quarter-finals on Friday.
It’s the second consecutive week that Djokovic has struggled, having also lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round in Madrid, where he was bothered by a right ankle injury.
Djokovic said he had been playing pain free this week.
Still, he will need to get his game in shape in a hurry with the French Open beginning May 26.
Djokovic served for the second set at 5-3 but Berdych ripped a backhand winner that landed on the line on his first break point and won the final four games of the set.