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World No. 1 praises Thiem and Zverev's camaraderie in US Open final
Novak Djokovic played an epic five-setter in this year’s Australian Open final to lift his 17th Grand Slam trophy. That victory came at Dominic Thiem’s expense, sending the Austrian to 0-3 in major finals. The Serbian was pleased to see the 27-year-old finally break through at a Slam on Sunday evening by winning the US Open.

“Dominic deserves this title probably more than anybody. He's such a nice guy, and he works extremely hard. He was so close in the past couple of years and finally he has it,” Djokovic said. “It would be interesting to see how his career goes on from here, but it's a huge relief.”

Thiem echoed those sentiments after his five-set victory against Alexander Zverev, adding that he believes he will play even freer at the biggest tournaments now. Djokovic recalls how he felt after winning his first major at the 2008 Australian Open.

“I remember my first Grand Slam title, obviously getting that first monkey out of your back, in a way, to say it's a huge relief. After that you start believing in yourself much more and feeling maybe a bit less pressure and expectations from yourself to win Slams,” Djokovic said. “Both of these guys possess a huge tennis quality on all surfaces to win titles and Grand Slams. We have Roland Garros coming in a couple weeks' time, and Dominic is right behind Rafa, on clay [as] the favourite to go all the way.”

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Djokovic watched the first four sets of the US Open final. One of the things he was most impressed by was the respect Thiem and Zverev, who are good friends, showed each other inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“We all know that they are good friends and you could see how much they wanted to win, of course, [the] final of a Slam. They both were fighting for the first Grand Slam title and both of them were bringing a lot of intensity on the court, but never disrespecting each other,” Djokovic said. “That struck me the most, to be honest, the appreciation, respect, and friendship that they showed. I think it's a great message to all of the tennis players and the sports world in general.”

Overall, the World No. 1 was happy to see both men competing under the spotlight in the final of a Grand Slam.

“I want to congratulate both of these guys. I want to congratulate them, of course, for their achievements. To get to the final for Sascha for the first time and to play for two-and-a-half sets the way he played was really impressive, and he was very close to winning it. Then again, he served for the match in the fifth,” Djokovic said. “For Dominic to lose three finals and start the match not on a very high level but then come back and win in such fashion is very inspiring, and they deserve a lot of credit.”

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Djokovic is the top seed at this week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where he is a four-time champion. It is an extra-special week for the Serbian, who on Monday tied Pete Sampras for the second-most weeks (286) as the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

The 33-year-old admitted that the quick post-US Open turnaround to clay has been “unusual”, but he is thankful to have opportunities to play during these unprecedented times. He believes that the clay favourite is clear.

“Rafa obviously decided to stay on clay and practise. Surely that gives him more advantage, but even if he didn't practise for that long on clay, he would still be the number one favorite [at] Roland Garros or any other clay tournament because he's Rafa,” Djokovic said. “Playing on clay, he's the ultimate challenge.

“But for most of the other guys, of course, it's going to be [an] adjustment challenge [to see] how quickly can we adapt, how quickly can we adjust to this new surface. Let's see. I did have four or five days of training, coming here, couple more days of training before my first match. I think it is sufficient. But let's see on the court.”

World No. 1 to face Krajinovic in third round

Novak Djokovic opened his bid for a fifth Internazionali BNL d'Italia trophy on Wednesday, beating Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round.

Competing for the first time on clay since his semi-final loss to Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros last year, the World No. 1 improved as the match progressed to record his 51st victory in 60 matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event. In terms of matches won, Djokovic is the second most successful player in tournament history. Only nine-time winner Rafael Nadal, who meets Pablo Carreno Busta later in the day, owns more victories in the Italian capital (61).

"It was a very good test for me. I'm very pleased with the way I handled myself in important moments,” said Djokovic. “I was in control of the match. Served well when I needed to come up with a big serve and moved well. I constructed the points as the clay courts demand, because it's obviously completely different surface in terms of building the point tactically. Everything went well. I'm very pleased.”

Djokovic has now won 27 of his 28 matches this year. The Serbian owns a tour-leading three trophies this year, having already triumphed at the Australian Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Western & Southern Open in 2020.

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The 33-year-old, who tied Pete Sampras’ tally of 286 weeks as the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, is aiming to lift a record 36th Masters 1000 crown this week. Djokovic currently shares the record with fellow 35-time Masters 1000 champion Nadal.

Djokovic will continue his quest for a fifth Rome title against countryman Filip Krajinovic. World No. 29 Krajinovic broke serve on four occasions to defeat 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-1 in 76 minutes. Djokovic will face Krajinovic for the second time in their ATP Head2Head series, after retiring during their only previous meeting in Belgrade in 2010.

"[Krajinovic] is in good form. I haven't played against him since the first time we played in Belgrade… I retired [from] that match after a set," said Djokovic. "So I look forward to that. I'm very glad that Filip is doing well with the new coach, Janko Tipsarevic. Filip is someone that I [have been] very close to for many years. I was trying to kind of mentor him in the past seven, eight years. I'm just very, very pleased that he's doing well.”


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After failing to convert two break points at 3-2 in the first set, the Belgrade native broke serve for the first time two games later. Djokovic retuned with consistent depth to rush his opponent, who committed a series of errors from the baseline.

In the second set, Djokovic raised his level to earn two further service breaks en route to his second victory in as many ATP Head2Head matches against Caruso. The four-time champion dictated play with his forehand to break serve in an 11-minute game at 1-1 and closed out the match with back-to-back love service holds.

Serbian to play Musetti or Koepfer for semi-final spot

Novak Djokovic advanced to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-finals for the 14th straight year on Friday, following his 7-6(7), 6-3 victory against countryman Filip Krajinovic.

The 33-year-old saved five of six break points to improve to 14-0 in third-round matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event after two hours and seven minutes. Djokovic struggled to take his chances in a hard-fought opener, but raised his level in the second set to maintain his perfect record of quarter-final appearances in the Italian capital.

The four-time champion has now won 28 of his 29 matches this year, highlighted by title runs at the Australian Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Western & Southern Open.


Djokovic is aiming to break a tie with fellow 35-time Masters 1000 champion Rafael Nadal by lifting his 36th crown at the level this week. The World No. 1 equalled Nadal’s record Masters 1000 trophy haul last month by completing the Career Golden Masters for a second time at the Western & Southern Open. No other singles player has achieved the feat once.

The Serbian, who tied Pete Sampras’ tally of 286 weeks as the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday, will face #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti or Dominik Koepfer of Germany for a place in the semi-finals. Djokovic has not met either player at tour-level.

More than 10 years after their only previous ATP Head2Head contest in Belgrade, Djokovic and Krajinovic traded breaks to open their third-round clash on Centrale. Djokovic attacked his opponent’s forehand and attempted to break up play with drop shots throughout the first set, but could not execute that game plan when holding two set points at 5-4 on Krajinovic’s serve.

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Krajinovic moved up the court well to finish points and establish a 4/1 lead in the tie-break, before Djokovic charged back by dictating rallies with his forehand and serving with added power. The 33-year-old converted his fifth set point when Krajinovic committed a forehand error. Both players won 61 points throughout the set, which lasted 87 minutes.

Djokovic found success early in the second set, driving forehands down the line to break serve at 1-1. The 17-time Grand Slam champion maintained his advantage to reach 5-3 and played with consistency from the baseline to break serve for a third time.

Serbian to face Ruud in semi-finals

Novak Djokovic advanced to his 11th Internazionali BNL d'Italia semi-final on Saturday, beating Dominik Koepfer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

The four-time champion won 68 per cent of second-serve return points (27/40) and created 21 break points en route to recording his 29th victory in 30 matches this year. Djokovic, who has reached the last eight in Rome each year since 2007, improves to 11-3 in Rome quarter-finals. The Serbian has now won seven straight quarter-final matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event, dating back to his loss to Tomas Berdych at this stage in 2013.

Djokovic is now two wins away from lifting a record-breaking 36th Masters 1000 crown. The 33-year-old tied Rafael Nadal’s tally of 35 titles at the level by completing his second Career Golden Masters at the Western & Southern Open last month.


Koepfer was making his main draw debut at a Masters 1000 event this week. The German saved one match point to earn his first ATP Tour victory on clay against Alex de Minaur and clinched his first Top 10 victory against Gael Monfils in the second round. Koepfer is the first qualifier to reach the quarter-finals at this event since Juan Monaco and Mischa Zverev in 2009.

“[Dominik] has a good pop on the serve, so you have to guess," said Djokovic. "He steps in when he is feeling the ball, he steps in on both the forehand and backhand and moves well. I think his game is really ideal for this surface and him reaching the quarter-finals proves he is in good form.”

Djokovic will be face Casper Ruud for a spot in the championship match. The Norwegian overcame fourth seed Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in just under three hours to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final.

“Clay is definitely [Casper’s] preferred surface. This is where he feels most comfortable. [It is the] semi-finals and it is anybody’s game… I’ll do some homework and be ready for that one,” said Djokovic.

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Djokovic started quickly on Centrale, attacking Koepfer’s backhand and dictating rallies with his forehand to earn a 4-0 lead. But Koepfer responded emphatically, recovering both breaks, as the World No. 1's level fluctuated. Djokovic quickly settled back into his rhythm on his forehand to clinch the first set and take an early lead in the second set.

Koepfer found a way back into the second set, firing a crosscourt backhand passing shot and showcasing incredible court coverage skills to level the score at 3-3. The German forced a decider with his fourth service break at 5-4, as Djokovic's level dropped on his forehand side.

“Credit to [Dominik] for fighting back, but I have myself to blame for putting myself in a position to play a third set,” said Djokovic. “I was a set and a break [up] and everything was looking great… I just wasn’t managing to make that final shot, that final step to win in straights.”

After failing to convert three consecutive break points in the opening game of the decider, Djokovic was gifted a love service break at 1-1. The 35-time Masters 1000 titlist served with confidence throughout the third set and regained consistency on his forehand towards the end of the match. Djokovic converted his second match point with a well-placed backhand drop volley.

World No. 1 to face Schwartzman or Shapovalov for trophy

Novak Djokovic moved one win away from a record-breaking 36th ATP Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday, following his 7-5, 6-3 victory against Casper Ruud at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

The World No. 1 saved two set points in the opener and fired 12 aces to improve to 10-1 in Rome semi-final matches. Djokovic will attempt to break a tie with fellow 35-time Masters 1000 champion Rafael Nadal when he faces Diego Schwartzman or Denis Shapovalov in the championship match on Monday.

Rank Player Titles
1 Novak Djokovic 35
1 Rafael Nadal 35
3 Roger Federer 28
4 Andre Agassi 17
5 Andy Murray 14
Djokovic equalled Nadal’s record Masters 1000 title haul by claiming his second Career Golden Masters at the Western & Southern Open last month. The four-time champion owns a 4-5 record in Rome championship matches.

The Serbian has earned 30 match wins after just 31 ATP Tour matches this year. Only in 2011, when he won his opening 41 matches of the year, has Djokovic reached 30 victories quicker.

Djokovic's Best Season Starts (After 31 Matches)

Win/Loss Record Year
31-0 2011
30-1 2020
29-2 2015, 2016
28-3 2013, 2014
27-4 2012
Djokovic will be attempting to end a five-year title drought in Rome on Monday. The 33-year-old has finished as runner-up at the event in three of the past four years, losing to Murray (2016), Zverev (2017) and Nadal (2019) in final clashes.

The five-time year-end No. 1 owns a combined 9-0 ATP Head2Head record against potential final opponents Schwartzman and Shapovalov. Djokovic is unbeaten in five matches against Shapovalov and owns a 4-0 record against Schwartzman. The Serbian owns a victory against each player at this event.


Ruud was attempting to reach his third final in four clay events this year. The World No. 34 owns a tour-leading 12 wins on the surface this year (12-3). Ruud was one of the form players of February’s ‘Golden Swing’, capturing his maiden ATP Tour crown at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and finishing as a runner-up in Santiago.

Ruud made a fast start on Centrale, anticipating Djokovic’s tactics and covering the court with great speed to gain an early break. The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier played with confidence on his forehand and saved two break points at 3-2, but he failed to covert two set points when serving for the set at 5-4. Djokovic increased his aggression on his backhand side and landed a drop shot winner, a tactic he has used throughout the week, before earing his first break of the match.

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Djokovic served well under pressure to save three break points in a 12-minute game at 5-5 and, with added confidence, attacked his opponent’s backhand to reach set point in the following game. At that moment, Ruud attempted to strike his 13th forehand winner of the set, but misfired on his favoured shot to hand Djokovic a one-set lead.

Djokovic continued to serve with power and accuracy to escape danger early in the second set and gained the first break at 3-2 with powerful groundstrokes. The 17-time Grand Slam champion struck three consecutive winners into Ruud’s forehand corner and capitalised on a Ruud forehand error to move two games from victory. Djokovic earned success driving his backhand up the line in the closing stages and booked his place in the final when Ruud failed to control a backhand return.

The Serbian is one win from a fifth Rome trophy
When the ATP Tour resumed last month, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was second on the ATP Masters 1000 titles leaderboard with 34. The Serbian has shown good form since the restart and in Monday’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia final, he will have a chance to lift a record-breaking 36th trophy at this level.

“These are the biggest tournaments we have on our ATP Tour,” Djokovic said. “Obviously the Masters 1000 events are as important as it gets on the Tour. These are the events where I want to perform my best other than Grand Slams and the [Nitto ATP] Finals.”

Djokovic is currently tied with Rafael Nadal at 35 Masters 1000 titles each. But while the Spaniard was upset in the Rome quarter-finals, the Serbian is into his 10th final at the Foro Italico.

“[Making the] final at such a big event means a lot even after 15 years of being on the Tour. I still am as motivated [as ever] to get my hands on the trophy,” Djokovic said. “This is what I work for as much as anybody else on the Tour. Of course as the time passes by, the tougher it gets.”

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The four-time Rome champion admitted that it will be different playing someone other than Nadal in the final, considering the lefty has triumphed nine times at this event. Djokovic and Nadal have played eight times in Rome, including five championship clashes.

“Most of the finals that I reached in the big events on clay I played against Rafa,” Djokovic said. “So it's going to be strange not facing him, but at the same time, Diego and Denis have deservedly reached the semi-finals. Let's see who I get to face. But whoever I get to face, I'll try to do my best and win the trophy.”


Djokovic, who won two three-setters in his run to the Western & Southern Open title last month, has not had it easy in Rome. The 33-year-old has only gone to a decider once at this event — in the quarter-finals against Dominik Koepfer — but he was pushed hard in the Round of 16 against countryman Filip Krajinovic and the semi-finals against Casper Ruud.

“Obviously I'm not super fresh and young as I maybe was five, 10 years ago, but I still feel physically really good and I love playing in Rome. I always want to do well here. I feel great support and great energy from the crowd,” Djokovic said. “With Nadal in the finals and without Nadal in the finals makes a big difference. Nevertheless, I will not underestimate anybody that steps on the court against me tomorrow.”

Making history in tennis is of the utmost importance to the World No. 1. On Monday, he will break his tie with Pete Sampras for the second-most weeks atop the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Serbian hopes it will be a sweet celebration with a fifth Rome title in hand.

“Hopefully I can get another big trophy.”

Mimo 15 lat w rozgrywkach, finał tak dużej imprezy wiele dla mnie znaczy - powiedział Novak Djoković, który w Rzymie awansował do rekordowego, 52., finału turnieju rangi Masters 1000. Jeśli wygra, ustanowi kolejne historyczne osiągnięcie.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
21 Września 2020, 07:01

Novak Djoković
PAP/EPA / Clive Brunskill / Na zdjęciu: Novak Djoković


Tenis. ATP Rzym: kapitalne widowisko na Foro Italico. Diego Schwartzman w finale po batalii z Denisem Shapovalovem
Po niełatwej potyczce Novak Djoković pokonał 7:5, 6:3 Caspera Ruuda w półfinale turnieju ATP Masters 1000 w Rzymie, w pierwszej partii broniąc dwóch setboli. - Nigdy z nim nie rywalizowałem ani nie trenowałem, więc potrzebowałem czasu, by przyzwyczaić się do jego gry. On bardzo rozumie, na czym polega gra na kortach ziemnych. Uderza z dużą rotacją - mówił podczas konferencji prasowej, cytowany przez puntodebreak.com.
- Uważam, że dobrze serwowałem - analizował. - Do stanu 4:5 on był lepszy ode mnie w grze z głębi kortu. Wtedy udało mi się rozegrać kilka dobrych punktów i przełamałem go. W kolejnych fragmentach meczu, gdy miałem problemy, ratowałem się podaniem. Z tej części gry jestem zadowolony.


W trakcie spotkania Serb otrzymał ostrzeżenie od sędziego za wulgarne słownictwo. - Zasłużyłem na ostrzeżenie i zostawmy tę sprawę - odparł ze śmiechem, zapytany o tę sytuację - Na pewno nie wypowiedziałem miłych słów w swoim języku.

ZOBACZ WIDEO: US Open. Wojciech Fibak o dyskwalifikacji Novaka Djokovicia: To mogą być historyczne konsekwencje dla tenisa


ZAMKNIJ
Dla 33-latka z Belgradu to 52. w karierze finał turnieju Masters 1000, czym pobił rekord, który dotychczas dzielił z Rafaela Nadala. Jeśli wygra, zdobędzie 36. tytuł tej rangi i zostanie samodzielnym liderem klasyfikacji wszech czasów. Obecne najlepsze osiągnięcie w liczbie wygranych imprez złotej serii współdzieli z Nadalem. W finale w Rzymie zagra po raz dziesiąty i piąty raz może zwyciężyć w tym turnieju.

- Masters 1000 to największe turnieje ATP i obok Wielkich Szlemów oraz ATP Finals te, w których chcę grać najlepiej. Mimo 15 lat w rozgrywkach, finał tak dużej imprezy wiele dla mnie znaczy. Wciąż jestem zmotywowany, by wygrywać trofea. Po to ciężko pracuję, choć z upływem czasu jest to trudniejsze - powiedział.


W poniedziałkowym finale (początek nie wcześniej niż o godz. 17:00) Djoković zmierzy się z Diego Schwartzmanem. Argentyńczyk na kortach Foro Italico wyeliminował m.in. Huberta Hurkacza i Rafaela Nadala. - W większości finałów na mączce mierzyłem się z Nadalem, dlatego teraz dziwnie będzie zagrać z kimś innym. Postaram się dać z siebie wszystko i wygrać - podkreślił.

- Mam nadzieję, że zdobędę kolejne wielkie trofeum - spuentował Serb, który z Argentyńczykiem grał dotychczas czterokrotnie, w tym dwa razy na kortach ziemnych, i nigdy nie przegrał.