(Tennis news) Novak Djokovic made it three consecutive wins in the ATP Finals, defeating Daniil Medevev in a gruelling 6-3 6-7 (5) 7-6 (2) victory that lasted over three hours. The 35 year old appeared to be struggling late in the second set while Medvedev served for the match at 5-4 in the decider but Djokovic fought back valiantly. Medvedev, who was a finalist last year and won the tournament in 2020 has lost three group stage matches now on tie-breaks while Djokovic admitted that it was a very demanding match.
Chasing his sixth title to match Federer’s record, Djokovic said “It's a huge relief. Daniil and I had some battles in the past and I knew coming into the match today it's going to be his last match of the season and he is definitely not going to want to finish the season with a loss. I started off well, had chances in the second set, had break points but he played very well in those decisive points. He was playing really quick. I didn't feel physically well in the third, and struggled a lot. It's a battle and it's a fight.
“Being able to find the last drop of energy to come back…at 4-5 (in the third set) I managed to read his serve and anticipate well and got myself in a good position. Well, it was just fatigue from a gruelling battle. That's all I can say. I mean, there was no illness. Everyone has one of those days where they struggle more physically. For me that was today. Of course, the opponent likes seeing you down, and he's trying to dominate in the rallies, he's trying to get the upper hand of the match, which was kind of the situation that was happening today."
In other results, Andrey Rublev came from behind to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 6-3 6-2 and will now face Norway’s Casper Ruud in the semi final. Tsitsipas dominated the first set, capitalising on a shallow ball by Rublev to lead 3-1. The Russian then failed to put one of his second serves into play, resulting in Tsitsipas claiming the set in what appeared to look like a straightforward victory. However, Rublev stopped committing errors in the second set and broke Tsitsipas for a 5-3 lead.
In the next game, Rublev saved a breakpoint and levelled the contest when Tsitsipas’ forehand went wide. The Russian continued to apply pressure and broke for 2-1 in the third set and again at 5-2, capitalising on back-to-back double faults. Speaking after the match, Rublev said “I just kept telling myself to keep fighting, keep playing, and we'll see what happens. I was happy that I was mentally strong today and I was able to turn the match around because Stef in the beginning was hitting super hard, hitting so many forehand winners.”
Also read: ATP Finals: Rafael Nadal defeats Ruud to finish campaign on a high
