ATP Tokyo: Korda Survives Marathon Match to Reach Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic, the 21-time Grand Slam champion, suffered a shock defeat at the hands of unseeded American Sebastian Korda at the ATP Tokyo on Wednesday.

Korda, ranked 37th in the world, outlasted Djokovic in a three-hour, 21-minute marathon match, winning 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-4. It was Korda's first-ever win over a top-five opponent and marked the first time Djokovic had lost in the first round of an ATP tournament since 2018.

In a match that lasted nearly three and a half hours, Korda saved two match points in the second set and ultimately prevailed in the third. The American's victory was a major upset, as Djokovic has been in excellent form recently, having won the Wimbledon and Tel Aviv Open titles in the past two months.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain's Taro Daniel. Murray, a former world number one, is continuing his comeback from hip surgery and is looking to regain his form ahead of the Australian Open in January.

Other notable results on Wednesday saw top seed Casper Ruud of Norway and third seed Taylor Fritz of the United States both advance to the quarterfinals. Ruud defeated qualifier Hiroki Moriya of Japan 6-3, 6-4, while Fritz defeated Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-4.