With a typically stunning comeback victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the Geneva Open final on Saturday, Novak Djokovic won just the third time to win 100 ATP titles.
After three hours and five minutes on the court, the 38-year-old returned from losing the first set to claim a 5-7, 7-6 (7/ 2), 7-6 (7/2) win.
Only two other players have a century of tour victories, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
That’s for sure, I had to work for it. Djokovic, who is the first man to win titles for 20 consecutive years, said he probably was closer to winning the match.
This is what happens at this level, I thought I was just trying to hang in there. An incredible match ends with a few points, and I’m thrilled to have won.
The former world number one won his first tournament title since winning his first gold medal at the Paris Games last summer against Carlos Alcaraz.
Prior to the Geneva tournament, Djokovic had lost to Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi at the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, respectively, in both of his previous clay matches.
In order to prepare for the start of the year’s second Grand Slam event on Sunday at Roland Garros, where the Serb will aim for a record-breaking 25th major singles trophy, he made the decision to play at the low-key clay-court event.
Djokovic split from his coach and former teammate Andy Murray for his first tournament, but he didn’t have any negative effects.
Hurkacz, a former world number six in Poland, is currently ranked 31st and waiting for his first title since April 2024.
Hurkacz told Djokovic, “It’s really inspiring how you act on and off the court.”
On either Monday or Tuesday, the three-time Roland Garros champion will face American Mackenzie McDonald in the French Open.
Also read: Five Tragic CAF Champions League Finals
Hurkacz’s strong debut
As Hurkacz battled to keep the first set on serve in the fifth game, Djokovic saw two break points come and go.
After a loose forehand at deuce with a double-fault on set point, Djokovic cracked in game 12 to give Hurkacz a one-set advantage, giving the opener an impression of going straight into a tie-break.
Hurkacz advanced to a close-range hold to end the second set before attempting a third break point.
Similar to the first set, but this time, Djokovic could hold it at 6-5 to make a tie-break with an ace.
Four straight points from the Serb’s collection helped the match move into the decisive set.
In the first game of the third set, Djokovic gave up his serve by hitting a backhand long on break point after serving a double fault at 40-30.
After pulling three successive holds to love, Hurkacz fell victim to two unforced errors and a double-fault to give Djokovic a chance to reclaim the title in the eighth game of the decisive.
In a tense 12th game, The Pole gathered himself to secure a decisive tie-break.
However, he made back-to-back errors from 3-2 down in the tiebreaker, giving Djokovic another milestone in his glittering career with an ace.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply