Denis Istomin is a 30-year-old tennis player from Uzbekistan that is ranked 117th in the world. He has a career singles record below .500 at 185-191, and has never made it to the quarterfinals of a major.

Well, his life will forever be changed now, after he just won an Australian Open second-round match against the guy that has won five of the last six Australian Open titles (including the last two years).

Istomin pulled off a stunning upset to knock off No. 2 Novak Djokovic 7-6 (10-8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 on Thursday in Melbourne. The incredible match lasted four hours, 48 minutes, and the first set lasted 87 minutes.

It looked like Istomin may be running out of gas, especially after Djokovic took a 2-1 set lead. But he battled back and made some amazing shots in the final two sets.

Like this backhand:

And here was the match-winner:

And his post-match interview (these are always great in tennis):

It was only the second time Djokovic has lost to a player outside the top-100 in the last seven years:

And Djokovic’s first loss to a player outside the top-100 in a major:

It’s only January, but this will be one of the most shocking upsets we see in sports all year.

[ESPN 2]

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

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