Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, greets the crowd as he lifts the Rookwood Trophy after defeating Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, in the men’s singles final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament on Aug. August 2023, in Mason, Ohio. | Image credit: AP
Novak Djokovic needed five match points and nearly four hours to secure a crunch win over Carlos Alcaraz and claim his third ATP Cincinnati Open title on Sunday.
A terrifying tug-of-war between the world’s two top players saw Djokovic – who had been sidelined in the second set – save a match point before overtaking his own fifth match point with a scoreline. 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/4) wins.
“It’s crazy, I don’t know what I can say,” said Djokovic, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who was seen by doctors early in the second set for heat illness during the three-hour 44-minute battle. , said.
“It’s hard to describe. It was the hardest game I’ve ever played in my life.
“From start to finish, we both went through ups and downs, unbelievable points, bad games, heatstroke, comebacks.
“Overall, it was the most difficult and exciting match I’ve ever been in.
“It’s games like this that I keep working on.”
Novak Djokovic, right, of Serbia, poses with Carlos Alcaraz, left, of Spain, after the men’s singles final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament. | Image credit: AP
It was yet another epic chapter of the budding rivalry between 20-year-old Alcaraz and 36-year-old Serb, who avenged his loss to the Spaniard in the five-set Wimbledon final. last month.
The two – who have traded at number one six times this year – are now level with two winners each in their head-to-head showdown.
Djokovic, who clinched his record-long 39th win at the elite Masters 1000 level, took the first break of the opening set, leaving Alcaraz sprawled out in shock to take a 4-2 lead.
However, a few minutes later, the Spaniard responded.
Alcaraz then broke the break to lead 6-5 and then drew to win the set before Djokovic left the field to change clothes for seven minutes.
Djokovic, clearly affected by the hot, muggy conditions, was visited by the coach and doctor in the second set.
He broke the lead 2-1, Alcaraz continued to lead 4-2 with a drop that Djokovic could not reach.
But the 23-time Grand Slam champion drew cheers when he broke Alcaraz to make a comeback, leveling 4-4 on his way to a tie-break.
Alcaraz had a chance to score, but Djokovic saved a match point 5-6 in the tie-break. They entered the third set when Alcaraz hit a shot into the net in Djokovic’s second set point.
Never doubted
Djokovic went into the changing room to change into another set of clothes while Alcaraz angrily slammed his right hand on the bench as he sat down.
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, kisses the Rookwood Cup as he poses for a photo after defeating Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, in the men’s singles final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament. | Image credit: AP
The Spaniard – who later needed to have his fingers bandaged – was broken in the seventh set, which lasted nine minutes with five break points.
The back-and-forth continued, Djokovic failed to convert on serve for the match 5–4 but equalized two games later in what the ATP Tour considers the best third-set final in history. best in tournament history.
A weary Djokovic lays down on the court in relief, then bounces up and rips the middle of his shirt as he lets out a roar of victory or pain – or perhaps a bit of both. two.
“I never doubted that I could serve when it mattered most,” he said, adding that the rivalry with Alcaraz “just keeps getting better.”
“Carlos is a great tennis player, I have a lot of respect for him,” said Djokovic. “He’s very poise at such a young age.”
Alcaraz has done enough in Cincinnati to ensure he holds the world number one spot this week and will be the top seed to defend his title at the US Open which begins August 28.
Djokovic, who declined to be vaccinated against COVID-19, is playing his first tournament in the United States in two years, the return tournament in Statesside will now take him to Flushing Meadows, where he has won three times.
Leave a Reply