Djokovic’s Season Ends with more Questions

“I don’t think he answered any of the questions people had about him coming into this tournament,” Tennis Channel commentator Lindsay Davenport said as Novak Djokovic walked off the court after his 6-4, 7-6 (2) loss to Marin Cilic at the BNP Paribas Masters on Friday.

But that’s not how Djokovic looked on Friday against Cilic.

Cilic won 53 percent of Djokovic’s second-serve points and earned eight break points.

Djokovic never looked sure of himself, his game or how to approach the match.

And when Djokovic saved two match points while serving at 5-6 in the second, most people watching surely believed he would extend that record to 15-0.

Here, finally, was the old Djokovic, the back-from-the-brink Djokovic, the one who swings his way out of trouble at the eleventh hour.

He’s a Grand Slam champ and a Top 10 player who has wins over Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and he pushed Djokovic to a fifth set at Wimbledon two years ago.