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Rome (AFP) – World number one Novak Djokovic took a dose of confidence before Roland Garros by winning his sixth title, the first in 2022, at the Masters 1000 in Rome, against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, fifth in the world, 6-0, 7-6, 7/5.
Succeeding Rafael Nadal, winner ten times in Rome and eliminated in the round of 16, the 34-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic won his first title of the year, confirming that he is fit after a first quarter with almost no competition due to not having been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Leaving aside his bizarre expulsion from Australia in January and his elimination last week in Madrid against the prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, absent from Rome to better prepare for Roland Garros (May 22-June 5), ‘Djoko’ was relentless in chaining five wins without giving up a single set on the Roman clay to conquer his sixth title in the ‘eternal city’.
“This ground has always been very special to me. It always gave me confidence and gave me joy when I really needed positive emotions, when I was a bit low…” Djokovic said in Italian upon receiving the trophy.
“This year, with everything that happened in Australia, it took a little time to find my balance, mentally and physically,” he admitted during his speech.
After having entered the players’ club with 1,000 wins on Saturday, along with Jimmy Connors (record with 1,274 wins), Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal, ‘Nole’ added the 1,001st at the end of a strange match, marked by a blank first set against the Greek, who had won the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in April.
family relay
One week before the big event in Paris, where Djokovic will try to catch up with Nadal, the tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles (21) today, this final displayed the scent of Roland Garros, with the reissue of the last final in the Porte d’Auteuil, won by ‘Nole’ after a five-set battle.
The Greek was shown this Sunday surpassed in the first set by Djokovic’s compression roller, who signed a 6-0 losing only ten points to his rival. Tsitsipas upped his game in the second set, breaking the Serb’s serve to lead 3-1.
The Greek tennis player believed he could take the Serbian to a third set, but the confidence on the brick dust of the world N.1 came into play. The latter recovered his usual solidity to break and win the tie-break, in his twelfth final at the Foro Italico.
Djokovic tried to console his rival at the trophy ceremony: “You should be proud, I’m sure you will win many titles here in Rome and all over the world.”
But in passing, he warned that the family changeover has already arrived: “Today, at 4:00 p.m., when this match began, my son Stefan, who is 7 years old, played his first tennis match.”
with AFP
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