Novak Djokovic, number one in the world ranking, beat Danish Holger Rune in the third set in his debut match at the Nitto ATP Tennis Finals in Turin. The Serbian won the first set 7-6 (4) before losing the second 7-6 (1) and winning the decisive one 6-3. The match lasted over three hours.
From the first point of the match – a winning return from Rune – Djokovic understood that it would not be an easy evening. In the first set the Serbian had to recover a break to then reach 6-6 and win the tiebreak 7-4. In the second set the young Dane once again took a break lead and was once again caught. Rune also had a ball to close the set at 6-4, but Djokovic canceled it out. In the end, however, it was Rune himself who won the set in the tiebreak, ending with a clear 7-1. The third set started well for Djokovic, who went ahead 2-0 before suffering a return from his opponent. Nole even had a moment of anger, breaking a racket after yet another error. The decisive game was the sixth, with the Serbian breaking his opponent’s serve and then maintaining the advantage until the final 6-3.
“I won against an incredible player”
“I won against an opponent who played incredibly, who had a lot of courage and confidence that he could win. There was a lot of expectation for me to know if I would win and finish the year as number one in the rankings. Rune and I We have a very similar game, sometimes I feel like I’m playing with a mirror. He’s young, I thank him for letting me win tonight.” This is how Novak Djokovic commented in the post-match interview on the victory against Holger Rune in his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
“I really appreciate the support I have in Italy – he added – and I always feel at home in this beautiful country. I was very emotional. I apologize to the children for smashing their rackets, I’m not proud of this but it happens, sometimes too many emotions and too much pressure on the pitch. I’m a man like the others.”
Finally Djokovic observed: “I don’t want to think too much about my sporting history and the results I have had: the only formula for success for me is to look ahead and think about the next challenge. I am aware that I have had a lot of success and that I am in a wonderful moment in my career, but if I want to remain at the level of these young people I have to work even harder than them.”