Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas to clinch his tenth Australian Open title and equal Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam document on Sunday.
The victory additionally returned Djokovic to the summit of the lads’s world rating.
The Serbian star overcame a hamstring damage and off-court drama on his return to Melbourne Park to comb previous the Greek third seed 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) on Rod Laver Arena.
He surged to victory with out father Srdjan within the stands after he sparked controversy by posing with a fan carrying a Russian flag that includes Vladimir Putin’s face following his son’s quarterfinal win.
Djokovic climbed to his participant’s field after the win to embrace his mom and broke down in uncontrollable tears, collapsing to the bottom sobbing.
It capped a exceptional comeback by the 35-year-old fourth seed, who missed final yr’s event when he was deported over his COVID-19 vaccination stance.
After a three-year ban from Australia was lifted, Djokovic received the lead-up Adelaide International earlier than reinforcing his stature as an all-time nice in Melbourne.
The emphatic win drew him stage with Nadal on a document 22 Slams, two away from Roger Federer.
The Spanish nice made a shock second-round exit with a hip damage however is concentrating on a return for the clay-court season and one other crack on the French Open, and with it a twenty third Slam title.
Nadal, although, is ready to slip down the rankings when they’re launched on Monday, in distinction to Djokovic, who will dethrone Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and return to the highest for the primary time since June. Tsitsipas will climb one place to 3.
Raucous ambiance
Both males have been again on a court docket that helped them rise to stardom.
Djokovic received his first Grand Slam in 2008 on the Rod Laver Arena whereas Tsitsipas burst on the scene in 2019 when he shocked defending champion Federer within the final 16.
With sizeable Greek and Serbian communities in Melbourne and Rod Laver in attendance, there was a raucous ambiance.
Djokovic got here into the match together with his confidence excessive having received all 9 of his earlier Australian Open finals and with a 10-2 profession benefit over the Greek.
Moving freely with solely minimal strapping on his troublesome left hamstring, he opened with a cushty maintain after being greeted by enormous cheers.
Djokovic labored two break factors on Tsitsipas’s opening serve, to no avail, however stored probing and the Greek handed him a break for 3-1 with a careless double fault.
Tsitsipas, in solely his second Grand Slam last to Djokovic’s thirty third, appeared nervous, dropping the primary set in simply 36 minutes.
But he battled again into rivalry in a a lot nearer second set as his confidence grew, enhancing his serve and successful some strain factors.
He earned his first break level – and set level – when Djokovic blasted a backhand extensive.
But the Serb clung on to maintain the set on serve and it went to a tiebreak, the place his better expertise got here to the fore.
Against the chances, Tsitsipas broke for the primary time on Djokovic’s opening serve in set three, solely to relinquish the benefit instantly after a gripping rally, livid with himself.
It once more went to a tiebreak, the place Djokovic as soon as once more raised a stage to say one other title.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
