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The first match of the season for Tomislav Brkic and Gonzalo Escobar will certainly be a memorable one. The unseeded duo eliminated Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 to reach the second round of the Adelaide International 1.
The standing-room-only crowd backed Djokovic, with several fans waving Serbian flags and encouraging the former World No. 1 singles player. But Brkic and Escobar remained calm under pressure, saving six of the seven break points they faced in their one-hour, 29-minute victory.
Djokovic and Pospisil had their share of high moments in the clash, including an impressive volleying display early in the second set, which led to a team chest bump. But they fell behind early in the Match Tie-break and never recovered.
This was Djokovic's first doubles match since last year's Laver Cup, where he partnered Matteo Berrettini past Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock. The 21-time Grand Slam champion will now turn his focus to his first singles match of the year against Frenchman Constant Lestienne.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article referred to Djokovic as the singles World No. 1, when it should have identified him as a former World No. 1.
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