Juan Martin del Potro stuck in a lift for 40 minutes ahead of Novak Djokovic clash in Rio

JUAN Martin del Potro has sent Novak Djokovic from the court in tears after knocking the tennis giant out of the Olympic contest in straight sets. Earlier, del Potro had to be rescued from a lift.

JUAN Martin del Potro has sent Novak Djokovic from the court in tears after knocking the tennis giant out of the Olympic contest in straight sets.

Del Potro defeated Djokovic, 7-6(4), 7-6(2) in the first round, sending the top seed crashing out of Rio.

Argentine's Juan Martin Del Potro had a less-than-ideal lead-up to his Rio clash with Novak Djokovic.

A top seed hasn’t won the men’s singles tennis at an Olympic Games since Andre Agassi claimed gold in Atlanta in 1996.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for del Potro though.

Earlier on the day his build-up to the blockbuster clash against Djokovic came to a grinding halt when he was stuck in a lift for 40 minutes.

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, crashed out of the Olympics in the first round.

The giant Argentine was marooned in the lift after a power outage in the block of the athletes village where the country’s Rio squad is based.

Del Potro’s media representative Jorge Viale posted a picture of 2009 US Open champion Del Potro sitting ruefully in the corner of the elevator, waiting for the problem to be fixed.

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

Fifteen - Love in an elevator. #DelPotro #Rio2016 https://t.co/8pO9cYWdDs

— Zeisig (@OleZeisler) August 7, 2016

Originally published as Juan Martin del Potro stuck in a lift for 40 minutes ahead of Novak Djokovic clash in Rio