Barcelona Open: Djokovic slumps to a surprise defeat in second round

Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise defeat in his latest comeback from injury after the Serb was beaten by Martin Klizan in his first match at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.

Djokovic had been due to meet Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals but a disjointed display gave Klizan, ranked 140th in the world, a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Nadal scored an easy 6-4, 6-4 victory over Roberto Carballas.

While Klizan goes through to meet Spanish claycourt specialist Feliciano Lopez in the last 16, Djokovic will now have to reset, with the French Open next month fast approaching.

On Tuesday, World No. 10 David Goffin survived a scare against Spaniard Marcel Granollers, after fighting back from 5-1 down in the second set, to win his second round tie 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2.

Granollers, ranked 129 in the world, made a flying start but he never recovered after spurning a match point.

and collapsed in the latter stages of the second set, losing the tie-break before being wiped out in the third.

Feliciano Lopez of Spain, who beat Dusan Lajovic 6-4 2-6 6-4, and Malek Jaziri of Tunisia, who downed Ernesto Escobedo 6-4 6-3, joined Goffin in the third round.

Second round results: Guillermo Garcia-Lopez bt Kei Nishikori 6-3, 0-0 retd.; Martin Klizan bt Novak Djokovic 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; Jozef Kovalik bt Guido Pella 6-3, 6-3; Dominic Thiem bt Jaume Munar 7-6(8), 6-1; Grigor Dimitrov bt Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-1; Rafael Nadal bt Roberto Carballas 6-4, 6-4.

Albert Ramos bt Rogerio Dutra Silva 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Feliciano Lopez bt Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; David Goffin bt Marcel Granollers 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2; Roberto Bautista Agut bt Ivo Karlovic 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4; Adrian Mannarino bt Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 7-6(5); Malek Jaziri bt Ernesto Escobedo 6-4, 6-3.