2023-11-12 23:28:15
Novak Djokovic started the end-of-season Masters with a victory in three sets once morest the Dane Holger Rune (7-6, 6-7, 6-3). The Serbian, who had a big anger following the loss of the second round, will end the year in the place of world number 1 for the eighth time.
Serbian Novak Djokovic is sure to end the year in first place in the world following his success once morest Dane Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 on the first day of the ATP Masters, this Sunday in Turin.
Novak Djokovic, 36, will finish the season in first place in the ATP rankings for the eighth time in his career, a new record. He had already finished the 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021 seasons with the status of the best player on the planet. Even before the entry into the running of world number 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Monday, “Djoko” can no longer be caught by his Spanish rival. Thanks to this success, he is also assured of becoming the first player in history to reach the symbolic figure of 400 weeks spent at the top of the ATP rankings.
The Serbian, defending champion, is aiming for a seventh title in the “Masters tournament” which pits the eight best players of the year once morest each other at the end of the season. With six successes, he co-holds the record for victories in this competition with his former great rival, the Swiss Roger Federer.
Rage in the tie break of the second set
Against Rune, sixteen years his junior, Djokovic signed his 19th consecutive victory following a little over three hours of play, but he suffered once morest the Dane who had won two of their four previous confrontations. Rune notably inflicted a scathing and rare 7-1 on him to win the tie-break of the second set, which had not happened to Djokovic since the 2016 Australian Open, once morest Frenchman Gilles Simon. Angry, the Serb even smashed two rackets.
“It was complicated once morest an opponent who played at an incredible level. From the first game, I felt that it was going to be a long match and that he might beat me,” he said. “Every match once morest him is very close, I sometimes have the impression of playing once morest myself, we are very similar in the style of play”, underlined the man who won three Grand Slam titles in 2023 for reaching a record total of 24 major tournaments.
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