World number 46 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset the top seed Novak Djokovic on Tuesday night to advance to the last 16 at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic, who had not played a competitive match since his quarter-final defeat at the Dubai Open on 24 February, lost the opening set to the unseeded Spaniard.
But after losing the first three games of the second set his fortunes veered from bleak to brilliant.
Serving for a 4-1 lead, Davidovich Fokina fluffed his lines to allow Djokovic back to 3-2.
But then the Serb was equally munificent and lost his serve to give Davidovich Fokina the chance to pull clear at 4-2.
But the 22-year-old could not profit and allowed Djokovic back to 4-3.
Changes
From there the world number one levelled and broke Davidovich Fokina to lead 5-4 and serve for the set.
But he faltered and it was 5-5.
It was something of a surprise when Davidovich Fokina held serve to lead 6-5.
Djokovic kept his nerve to make it 6-6. And despite trailing for most of the tiebreak, he won three consecutive points to take it seven points to five.
A second double fault in his opening service game of the decider gave Davidovich Fokina the early break and he held to lead 2-0.
Chances
He was not able to exploit three separate chances to get a double break for a 3-0 lead and Djokovic got back to 2-1.
Djokovic carved open an opportunity to level at 2-2 but it was saved with a glorious cross court forehand winner.
And that was as good as it got for Djokovic in only his fourth match of the year.
Davidovich Fokina romped away with the next four games against a tiring adversary to claim the decider 6-1 and notch up the biggest win of his career.
"I'm very happy," he told the broadcaster Eurosport. "I'm one of Novak's biggest fans and I knew that if I pushed myself that I could do it and get the win."
In the third round, Davidovich Fokina will face either Daniel Evans or David Goffin.
