French Open: Defending champ Novak Djokovic stunned by Thiem in quarter-final

When the time comes, proud champions are supposed to relinquish their crowns after fighting and snarling to the last moment.

Novak Djokovic effectively waved the white flag, bowing out of the French Open with a whimper on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Serb, who has prevailed in some of the sport’s epic battles on the way to 12 major titles, was barely recognisable as he capitulated in a 7-6(5) 6-3 6-0 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals.

After squandering two set points in the opener on a blustery Court Suzanne Lenglen, Djokovic’s renowned fighting spirit ebbed away quickly and he surrendered the third set in 20 minutes.

The result was all the more remarkable as in five previous matches with the 23-year-old he had lost one set and last month thrashed him 6-1 6-0 in Rome — a result that suggested Djokovic had found his mojo, missing since he won the French a year ago.

Sixth seed Thiem, who to be fair played superbly in the first set but must have thought he was facing a Djokovic impersonator thereafter, is yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament but his next task is a daunting one. “It doesn’t get any easier,” Thiem, beaten by Djokovic in last year’s semi-final, said on court when asked to comment on the prospect of facing favourite Rafa Nadal in the semis.

While Thiem’s part in Djokovic’s downfall should not be overlooked, it was the Serbian world number two’s astonishing collapse that was the talk of Roland Garros.

Double French Open champion Jim Courier, commentating on the match, said the Serb had shown ‘no fight’. That was certainly true after the first set as Djokovic, whose new coach Andre Agassi had already flown home, appeared lost and listless, misfiring a succession of lame backhands.

It was Djokovic’s first defeat before the semi-finals in Paris since 2010 when he was also beaten by an Austrian, Juergen Melzer in the quarter-finals.