Novak Djokovic vs. Juan Martin del Potro: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympics

Novak Djokovic's quest for a gold medal ended abruptly Sunday, when he lost to Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), during the first round of men's singles play at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

It was the first major shock in the men's draw, with Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga being among the notable names to advance.

Whether he won or not, tennis writer Ricky Dimon was happy to see del Potro playing his best again:

win or lose today, God bless tennis when Del Potro is healthy and playing like this

— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) August 8, 2016

Entering Sunday, Djokovic owned a decisive edge against del Potro. In their 14 meetings on the ATP World Tour, Djokovic was 11-3, with del Potro's last win coming in Indian Wells, California, in 2013.

While del Potro won bronze in London at the 2012 Olympics, Djokovic was the gold-medal favorite heading into Rio, according to Odds Shark. He's the best men's player on the planet, having won five of the past seven Grand Slam events, but he hasn't yet taken home an Olympic gold medal. Motivation wasn't likely to be an issue for the Djoker.

In what appeared to be a terrible omen, del Potro began his day getting stuck in an elevator in the Olympic Village. The 27-year-old Argentine' publicist, Jorge Viale, shared a photo of him in the cramped quarters:

This is how Delpo started the day: trapped in an elevator at the Olympic village for 40 minutes. pic.twitter.com/EFNmOKqIwE

— Jorge Viale (@jorgeviale) August 7, 2016

Del Potro must have left all of his bad luck in the elevator, though. He took the first set against Djokovic, winning the tiebreaker 7-4. Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim thought del Potro's forehand was a massive weapon that neutralized the No. 1 player in the world:

DelPotro takes the first set off of Djokovic. DelPo is like a boxer with a shaky left, but the meanest right in the fight game...

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) August 8, 2016

Del Potro collected 13 forehand winners in the opening set, compared to four for Djokovic. He was also excellent on serve, winning 75.7 percent of his service points.

Djokovic, on the other hand, didn't look like himself. His frustration was visible at various moments in the set when things weren't going his way. He also committed 15 unforced errors.

The second set largely mirrored the first. Neither player budged on serve. Del Potro had Djokovic on his heels on a few occasions, but Djokovic kept his opponent at bay and didn't surrender a break-point opportunity.

Once again, a tiebreaker was needed to separate the two. When the tiebreaker began, something clicked for del Potro. He had Djokovic running all over the court and jumped out to a 5-0 lead before eventually sealing the win, 7-2.

It was clear how much the Olympics meant for both players based on their reactions immediately after the match, per USA Today's Nick McCarvel:

Heaving sobs from Del Potro as he sits down, but Djokovic is crying tears of pain as he leaves court... Crushed. What scenes #Rio2016

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) August 8, 2016

According to the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg, Djokovic was magnanimous in defeat:

You know it's been good #sports when both guys cry. del Potro emotional as well, saying Djokovic told him he deserved win. #Rio2016 #tennis

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 8, 2016

With the win, del Potro advanced to the second round, where he'll meet Joao Sousa. Del Potro positioned himself as a dark horse for gold with Sunday's performance, and looking beyond the Olympics, he may have finally recovered from the wrist injuries that forced him to spend a prolonged spell away from the court.

Note: Stats are courtesy of Rio2016.com.

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