Novak Djokovic runs out of steam in loss to Janko Tipsarevic

The loss meant the top-ranked Djokovic fell to 1-2 in group play and was in danger of missing out on the semi-finals if Tomas Berdych beat David Ferrer in the late match last night, with the Spaniard having already advanced. Berdych would join Ferrer, Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four with a win.

Djokovic again looked far from the player who was practically unbeatable for much of 2011, and the season that saw him win three Grand Slam titles and seize the No 1 ranking from Rafael Nadal may well have ended with a dud.

He was broken twice in each of the last two sets, and sent a forehand into the net on Tipsarevic’s third match point.

Just like Nadal said on Thursday after missing out on the semi-finals following a loss to Tsonga, Djokovic said he has simply run out of steam at the end of the year.

“What is missing ... is that freshness,” Djokovic said. “The will to win, just being on the court, giving a hundred percent. I’m not able to do that now because I just have very little left.”

The Serb said he would still start preparing for a possible match against Federer on Saturday, but added that if Berdych advances instead, then “I look forward to go for a much needed rest.” “I had an unbelievable year,” he said. “Nothing can really ruin that. I will always remember this year as the best of my life.”

Djokovic looked in control of the match until midway through the second set, but his game gradually unravelled after Tipsarevic broke for the first time to go up 4-2. While Djokovic broke back immediately, he made three forehand errors in his next service game to hand his countryman another break and the set.

Tipsarevic broke again with a delicate forehand volley to start the third, and then easily held serve the rest of the way.

Djokovic was broken again in the final game, when he gave Tipsarevic three match points by sending an easy forehand well wide. He saved the first two with a service winner and an ace, but netted a forehand on the third.

Tipsarevic entered the tournament as an alternate after Andy Murray pulled out after his loss to Ferrer on Monday, and had no chance of advancing after losing his first match to Berdych. But the Serbian has shown guts and determination playing in a tournament in which he came into with little chance of progressing, and he can be proud of his week’s work.

The clearly exhausted Djokovic was coming off a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Ferrer on Wednesday, which tied for the worst defeat for a No 1-ranked player since 1983.

He looked a lot more combative early on against Tipsarevic, showing flashes of the spectacular shotmaking skills that led him to a 69-4 record in 2011 heading into this tournament.

“I lost a match that I think I was on the way to win, Djokovic said. “But if this is my last match in the Masters Cup, I’ll be happy because I think, at least comparing to the match against Ferrer, I played a little bit better.”

He was helped at times by Tipsarevic’s erratic backhand, which often seemed to desert him in key moments during the first set. But the ninth-seeded Serb’s accuracy improved as Djokovic’s deteriorated, with Tipsarevic making just three errors in the final set.

Both players finished with more unforced errors than winners - 37 to 30 for Djokovic, and 24 to 21 for Tipsarevic.