The Boodles Tennis 2015: Friday Scores, Results, Updated Draw Schedule
Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat to German teenager Alexander Zverev at The Boodles 2015 on Friday, just three days before his Wimbledon defence gets underway.
The reigning SW19 champion was comprehensively outplayed by the 18-year-old at the warm-up event, losing by a 6-4, 6-3 scoreline.
Rafael Nadal also took to the court on Friday at Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, England, but he had no problems winning his rain-affected match against Robin Haase. The Spaniard was in total control throughout the contest, coasting to a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win.
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Here are the full results from the penultimate day of the competition:
| Jack Sock | 6-4, 7-5 | Tommy Robredo |
| Alexander Zverev | 6-4, 6-3 | Novak Djokovic |
| Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 6-2 | Robin Haase |
At the time of writing, no schedule of matches has been released for Saturday’s games. Be sure to check back on the tournament’s official website for updates on those players likely to be involved.
Djokovic Shocked by Sascha
Alexander “Sascha” Zverev has long been considered as the next big thing in German tennis, but he gave the most emphatic indication of his talent yet by hammering Djokovic at Stoke Park.
Given the youngster is ranked 76th in the world, those in attendance would have been hoping to see a clinic from the world No. 1. But buoyed by the occasion, the 18-year-old smashed his way to what will be a treasured win.
As noted here by Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail, with Wimbledon so close, this result will be a little unnerving for the Serb:
You suspect there won’t be any major alarm bells ringing in the Djokovic camp, however. As has been evident by his glamorous arrival in a helicopter on Thursday and his playful antics on the court all week, this is a tournament that has relaxed the eight-time Grand Slam champion. His display was emblematic of that.
Indeed, as we can see here thanks to Philipp Kohlschreiber, the man who Djokovic has been drawn against in Round 1 at Wimbledon, the Serb’s mind already seems to be on the SW19 showpiece:
When the serious stuff begins on Monday, expect nothing but the utmost focus from Djokovic. This loss isn't ideal by any means, but after a draining few months, the main aim at The Boodles seems to be relax and acclimatise ahead of what’ll be a gruelling fortnight for the reigning Wimbledon champion.
Nadal Shows His Class
After being drawn as the 10th seed for Wimbledon earlier in the day, Nadal gave the tennis world a sharp reminder of his quality on grass courts, romping to an emphatic victory over Haase.
As noted here by the official Wimbledon Twitter account, if the Spaniard is to sample glory on centre court for the third time in his distinguished career, it’s not going to be easy:
But the only way Nadal will restore his reputation as one of the elite players in the game is by playing and winning matches. And the Spaniard, who was in a much more serious mode than Djokovic at Stoke Park, was far too good for Haase here, dominating the Dutchman with spades of thunderous ground strokes.
Nadal took the first set by a 6-4 scoreline before the heavens opened, prompting a rain delay. But clearly keen on keeping his momentum going, the 29-year-old star decided to have a knock around with some of his nephews on an indoor court, as we can see here courtesy of the tournament’s official Twitter feed:
When the conditions brightened, Nadal continued to apply pressure and was even more at ease in the second stanza, taking it 6-2 with some scintillating segments of play.
It may not have been a performance or a venue to suggest the Spaniard is ready to launch a renewed bid for Grand Slam glory, but for those of us desperate to see Rafa back at full tilt and in the mix for a Grand Slam title, this win was a positive step with Wimbledon edging closer and closer.
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