At the end of an epic three-set thriller against Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic fell on his back, then ripped his shirt off.
“It was one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played in a tournament,” said the 36-year-old Serb after beating the world number one from Spain in the breathtaking final of the ATP Masters in Cincinnati. It was 5: 7, 7: 6 (9: 7), 7: 6 (7: 4) after 3:49 hours in a repeat of the Wimbledon final, which Alcaraz had won in five sets.
In hot, muggy conditions, Djokovic fended off a match point in the tie-break of the second set before later taking his fifth chance to win himself. “There’s so much to say, but I don’t know if I have the strength,” said the Serb as he picked up the trophy. Then he looked at 20-year-old Alcaraz and added: “You never give up, do you? I love that about you. I hope we’ll see each other again in New York. That would be fun – for the fans, not for me. “
The US Open begins next Monday. Alcaraz is the defending champion there. “The match was very close, I will come back,” said the Spaniard. In his duel with the second in the world rankings, it is now 2:2. For the Serbs, the victory in Cincinnati was also his 39th in a Masters tournament.
2023-08-21 06:38:00
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