Novak
Djokovic faced a challenging encounter against
Holger Rune and emerged
victorious with a score of 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3 in the opening match of the 2023
ATP Finals. The Serbian ensured his year-end status as world No. 1.
The
24-times Grand Slam champion continues to rack up wins, securing his 18th
consecutive triumph and starting his title defense at the Finals in top form.
Djokovic extended his year-round record to 52-5 and guaranteed his year-end No.
1 ranking with only one match played in Turin.
It was no
easy task for 'Nole,' as he faced a Rune who has shown significant improvements
in this late part of the year, especially since partnering with Boris Becker,
Djokovic's former coach, securing his qualification for the Finals in the last
spot just a week ago.
With the
risk of falling out of the top 10 in recent weeks, Rune elevated his level and
seems to have left behind the inconsistent months after Wimbledon. From the
first set, the Danish player held his ground against Djokovic in a closely
contested match.
Rune
performed at an exceptionally high level at the start of the first set,
securing the first break in his third opportunity in the fifth game.
Unfortunately for the Dane, Djokovic's response was immediate to level the
match. Both progressed through the set without offering break opportunities to
their opponent and settled the score in the tie-break.
Although
neither found sufficient consistency with their serves, with 6 mini-breaks out
of the 11 points contested, Djokovic seized the advantage in crucial moments
and claimed the first set. Rune was more aggressive with 19 winners compared to
Djokovic's 15, winning 75% of points with the first serve and 41% with the
second—a slight improvement over Djokovic's 74% with the first serve and 38%
with the second.
In the
second set, Rune took an early lead with a break in the second game, but
Djokovic once again recovered the break in the following game, maintaining the
balance. With the score at 5-4 in favor of Rune, the Dane had a set point, but
Djokovic had no trouble saving it. The set reached a tie-break, where Rune
displayed a high level of play, winning the first six points and ultimately
securing the set 7-6(1).
In the
third set, Djokovic quickly took a 2-0 lead, but similar to Rune in the
previous sets, he rapidly lost the advantage, and Rune managed to equalize in a
few minutes. In the sixth game, the decisive break came for 'Nole,' who then
did not give Rune a chance with his service. Although Rune fought in the final
set, Djokovic secured the victory 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3.
Djokovic's
triumph ensures he will finish the year as the world No. 1 for the 8th time in
his career, an absolute record, surpassing Pete Sampras with 6, followed by
Federer, Nadal, and Jimmy Connors with 5 each.
