Biggest Sporting upsets of 2018

Year 2018 saw some of the biggest sporting events in the world including FIFA World Cup, Hockey World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. While there were some expected results and some new champions as well, the year also saw some big upsets that had the whole world talking. Let us look back at some of the
biggest upsets of the year 2018:

• Serena Williams loses to inexperienced Osaka in New York – In one of the most unexpected results, Serena Williams failed to make history at the US Open as she lost a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title 6-2, 6-4 to Naomi Osaka, who delivered her first major win in her first major final.
• Indian Kabaddi team goes down to Iran – At the last Asian Games in 2014, which took place after the inaugural season of the PKL –Pro Kabaddi League, India won the gold with a nervy two-point win over Iran. This year, the Indian men’s Kabaddi team saw an unexpected 27-18 loss to Iran in the semi-finals to end their 28-year golden run. The Indian side had dominated the Asian Games for almost three decades before failing to make it to the final in a game that originated in the country.

• Germany Loses to Korea in FIFA World Cup – Every four years, the FIFA World Cup sees a few unexpected performances. This year, it was defending champions Germany, who failed to even qualify for the knockouts. The Germans, who have won four World Cups and finished runners-up four times, entered this year’s
  tournament as favourites to win the title. Germany suffered a stunning 2-0 defeat by a tenacious South Korea after a 1-0 opening match loss to Mexico to crash out of the World Cup. It was the first time in 80 years that Germany had been eliminated in the opening round.
• India Women lose to Bangladesh in Women’s Asia Cup for Cricket – Six-time defending champions India suffered a three-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in
  the final of the Women’s Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur. After two facile wins over Thailand and Malaysia, India put up a below-par batting performance, scoring 141 for seven in the 20 overs, which Bangladesh surpassed in 19.4 overs.
• Novak Djokovic’s shock defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas – Fresh after becoming the Wimbledon champion, Novak Djokovic, who was in his fittest and
  finest form, was tipped to take another title as he went into the Rogers Cup. The Serb, however, was in for a shock defeat as his campaign came to an abrupt end by a Greek teenager called Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. Tsitsipas sent the four-time Rogers Cup champion home by giving him his first of just three post-Wimbledon defeats.
• Argentina’s defeat to lowest-ranked France in Hockey World Cup – The last time France played in Hockey World Cup was 28 years back, finishing seventh.
  Ironically, their last match in the World Cup 1990 was against Argentina, who were one of the favourites to win the Hockey World Cup taking place in Bhubaneswar. The Olympic champions, however, saw a shocking 5-3 defeat to lowest-ranked participating team France in the last pool stage match. In the process, France also pushed eighth-placed Spain out of the tournament.