[ad_1]
Novak Djokovic is the season-ending champion for a record seventh time after defeating Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-3.
In a one-sided final, Sinner could not replicate the blistering tennis from the round-robin stages that saw him defeat Djokovic in a third-set tiebreak as the Serb produced another masterclass at the Pala Alpitour.
Heading into the match, Djokovic was a 60% betting favourite, and he lived up to the billing, delivering a dominant performance that saw him win 91% of points behind his first serve en route to a 1 hour and 44-minute victory.
ATP Finals 2023 Final Result
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner | 6-3 6-3 |
Match Recap
The pair exchanged holds in the opening two games, but it wasn’t long until Djokovic had asserted his authority on proceedings, capturing the early break for 3-1 with some clean hitting that drew errors from Sinner, who dropped serve from 40-15 up.
That one break proved decisive, and from 3-1, 0-15, 14 straight points on serve gave Djokovic the first set 6-3.
At the start of set two, momentum helped Djokovic capture an immediate break of serve, which he consolidated for 2-0.
A further three break points came Novak’s way in the third game, and had he not clipped the net cord on the third, which sent the ball just wide, a double break would have been his. Sinner went onto hold for 1-2.
In game six, Sinner fashioned his first two break points of the match, much to the crowd’s delight, but their cheers were shortlived as Djokovic erased both en route to holding for 4-2.
Sinner then had to come through an eight-deuce game, saving two break points to keep within touching distance.
Buoyed from the hold, the Italian opened a 0-30 window in his next return game, but a cheap error on the return prevented him from creating three break points, and Djokovic was able to come through the game for a 5-3 lead.
Those mistakes proved costly as Djokovic dealt the hammer blow in game nine, bringing up his first match point at 30-40, which he converted thanks to a Sinner double fault.
Match Stats
| Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 8 | 13 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 66% | 70% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 57% (28/49) | 91% (29/32) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 48% (12/25) | 64% (9/14) |
| Break Points Saved | 63% (5/8) | 100% (2/2) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 9% (3/32) | 43% (21/49) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 36% (5/14) | 52% (13/25) |
| Break Points Converted | 0% (0/2) | 38% (3/8) |
| Winners | 19 | 20 |
| Unforced Errors | 12 | 5 |
| Net Points Won | 67% (2/3) | 67% (2/3) |
| Max Points In Row | 5 | 14 |
| Service Points Won | 54% (40/74) | 83% (38/46) |
| Return Points Won | 17% (8/46) | 46% (34/74) |
| Total Points Won | 40% (48/120) | 60% (72/120) |
| Max Games In Row | 1 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 67% (6/9) | 100% (9/9) |
| Return Games Won | 0% (0/9) | 33% (3/9) |
| Total Games Won | 33% (6/18) | 67% (12/18) |
Highlights
Thoughts on the Final
After only making the semi-finals due to Sinner beating Rune, Djokovic needed no second invitations, and he carried on from where he left off yesterday in his virtuoso performance against Alcaraz.
In the opening set, Novak was exceptionally dominant on serve. He won 20 of 22 service points and made just two unforced errors.
That heaped all the pressure on Sinner as Djoker played entirely on the front foot, using his heavy forehand to dictate.
When watching on TV, it doesn’t look like he hits the ball big compared to the usual suspects of Rublev, Rune Alcaraz etc, but his average forehand groundstroke speed was higher than Sinner’s.
Alongside his dominance from the baseline, he also handled the big moments with aplomb. When Sinner created his first break points aided by a brief dip from Djokovic, he recovered with three big serves — two unreturned on the breakpoints — followed by another well-constructed point dominated by his forehand to capture the critical hold for 4-2.
The way he escaped that 0-30 window after Sinner’s 16-minute hold also showed the difference between the two. Djokovic played the moment much smarter without taking too much risk.
On the other hand, Sinner missed a pretty makeable return at 0-30. Three break points and the crowd going crazy? Maybe he can take one of them to get back on serve, but Djokovic shut the door instead.
With the win, Djokovic is now 7-2 in finals at the season-ending championships, and on Monday, he’ll have held the number one ranking for a record-extending 400th week. Too good, and he’s the best player in the world by some margin.
What did you think of the final? And did you enjoy the ATP Finals overall? Let me know in the comments.
[ad_2]
Source link
