As far as tournament debuts go, they don’t get much better than Novak Djokovic’s performance this week in Tokyo.

The World No. 1 won his 76th tour-level title on Sunday, defeating Aussie John Millman 6-3, 6-2 to win the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. It is the 10th time the Serbian has lifted a trophy on his main draw debut at a tour-level event.

“It was a fantastic week in every sense. I felt great on the court, felt very welcomed by the Japanese people, off the court as well. They made me feel like at home,” Djokovic said. “Didn’t drop a set, played really well, served great. Just overall, a great experience.”

The top seed arrived in the Japanese capital for his first event since retiring during his fourth-round match at the US Open due to a shoulder injury. But Djokovic showed that he is physically in peak form.

Djokovic did not drop a set at this ATP 500 event, with the closest set, 7-5, coming against home favourite Go Soeda in the second round. In his final three matches, against fifth seed Lucas Pouille, third seed David Goffin and Millman — all of whom have made a Grand Slam quarter-final — Djokovic lost a total of 15 games.

The 32-year-old did not break in his first return game like he did in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. But Djokovic was pretty close, carving a drop shot and then backing it up with a stretch forehand volley into the open court to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

Simply superb from @DjokerNole ?

The World No. 1 is looking good in Tokyo ?

?: @TennisTV | @rakutenopen pic.twitter.com/8TVziRM4qA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 6, 2019

Millman got to deuce in his first service game of the second set. But after he powered a forehand long to give Djokovic break point, the Serbian took full advantage. Djokovic hammered away at the Aussie’s backhand wing until he forced an error, and from there it was off to the races.

From the early going there were physical rallies, as both players expected. But Millman did not have enough firepower to break down Djokovic’s defensive walls, and that proved critical, leading to more errors from his racquet and growing confidence from the top seed’s side of the court. Djokovic also served well, losing only four first-serve points (25/29).

“He had a great tournament. Considering he was close to losing in the first round of qualies, to get this far, I think he’ll take it. He’s a great fighter. He started off really solid in the match today,” Djokovic said. “We had a tough battle in the first set. [In] the second set I stepped it up, started swinging through the ball even better than the first set. Overall, it was a great tournament for him.”

Djokovic put his foot on the pedal with his third service break of the match as Millman hit a backhand into the net. And he never stumbled, finishing off his victory after one hour and nine minutes when Millman missed into the net. The World No. 1 earns 500 ATP Ranking points to claw within 1,460 points of Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race To London, and he also leaves Japan with $391,430 in prize money.

“I think this is definitely a level higher than the past couple of months in terms of my tennis,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I can maintain that in Shanghai, as well.”

Millman, a qualifier who saved three match points in the first round of qualifying in Tokyo, was trying to become the fifth Australian to lift the trophy at this event (most recently Nick Kyrgios, 2016) and the first qualifier to emerge victorious on the ATP Tour this season. The 30-year-old, who was pursuing his maiden tour-level crown, takes $196,590 and 300 points.

“It sound silly to say, but I hope everyone all around the world realises just how good you are,” Millman said to Djokovic after the match. “You’re an absolute champion and you’re the type of person that’s going to be remembered forever. Your legacy is continuing to build and will live on long after you finish playing. But I’m sure you’ve got a fair few more years left.”

Did You Know?
Djokovic now stands alone in third place on the ATP Tour this year with 46 tour-level wins, breaking his tie with Roger Federer. The only players ahead of the World No. 1 are Daniil Medvedev (54) and Rafael Nadal (48).

Daniil Medvedev’s presence in the final of ATP Tour events has become as reliable as his baseline game over the past two months. But as the third-seeded Russian looks for his sixth consecutive ATP Tour final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, he will once again turn to his team in pursuit of another big week.

“My team is a big part of my success,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “Of course it’s me holding the racquet [and] playing on the tennis court. But if I would just travel without anybody by my side, I would never be where I am right now.”

Medvedev’s team includes a coach for his game and a coach for his mind. He’s been working on the court with Gilles Cervara since 2017 and began working last year with sports psychologist Francisca Dauzet. Their efforts have yielded a more disciplined player on all fronts. Medvedev admitted he’s more professional in his dedication to the sport and far less likely to get rattled in matches by outside factors he can’t control.

”[Dauzet] has helped me a lot to be more focussed on the tennis court, on the goal to win the match than on other distractions,” Medvedev said. “Even when there are other distractions, I still try to have the main focus on the victory and that’s why I win so much.”

Although not every player speaks about their winning ways as matter-of-factly as Medvedev, he’s racked up more victories than anyone else on Tour this year. The Russian arrives in Shanghai with an impressive 54-17 record and has won 24 of his past 27 matches.

His current hot streak includes his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open (d. Goffin), first ATP Tour crown on home soil in St. Petersburg (d. Coric) and maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open (l. to Nadal). Medvedev has padded his outstanding season with a title in Sofia (d. Fucsovics) and runner-up finishes in four other events, including his first Masters 1000 final at the Coupe Rogers (l. to Nadal). It comes as little surprise that he currently sits at a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings.

”With the results I achieved… that changed a lot of things inside of me because I always said that experience is key,” Medvedev explained. “Before the US Open, I’d never been in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. So being there, winning these matches, getting in the final and playing this five-set match against Rafa, for sure it stays inside your body, inside your mind. Hopefully for any other tournaments, I can just gain this confidence [and] experience, and be ready for every match I play because of it.”

Medvedev’s recent form has also yielded him far more attention. The Russian admits to enjoying reading articles about himself, but it’s no longer possible for him to take in all of the worldwide coverage about his results. Medvedev is embracing his newfound stardom, but is aware that winning matches is what will keep him in the headlines.

”I actually do not take it as a positive or a negative because it’s kind of normal. I just have to do my best to handle my obligations and then step up on the tennis court and try to win the match,” Medvedev said. “No matter if you drop [in the ATP Rankings] or if you go higher, there are going to be different situations in your life that you have to deal with and still be able to play good on the tennis court. Hopefully I’m just going to be better and better on the court.”

Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin lost a heartbreaking five-setter in the Wimbledon final, and then they fell in a Match Tie-Break in the Metz championship match two weeks ago. But the second seeds refused to be denied in Tokyo.

Mahut and Roger-Vasselin defeated reigning Monte-Carlo champions Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor 7-6(7), 6-4 after one hour and 42 minutes to clinch the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships title, their seventh tour-level trophy as a pair and their first together since Antwerp last year.

“Amazing to have the trophy, an amazing week. From the first day we arrived we played really, really well,” Roger-Vasselin said. “[It was] tough with the jet lag, of course, but on court, off court, we really had a nice, nice week. And of course to have the trophy, you cannot finish better than that.”

Mahut and Roger-Vasselin first competed together in a Futures event held in Bagneres de Bigorre, France more than 17 years ago. This is their first ATP 500 triumph as a team.

“We are coming from the same area in France, so we grew up [together], we’re almost the same age, so we know each other of course from a long time,” Roger-Vasselin said. “It’s definitely better to win with a friend and of course it helps on court to know each other from a long time.”

Mahut owns 26 tour-level doubles titles, while Roger-Vasselin has 19. But lifting trophies together, as friends, makes it even more special.

“We enjoy playing togetherso much,” Mahut said. “Seventeen years later, we’re still here, having a bigger trophy of course in hand. I hope we have many more to come.”

Mektic and Skugor served for the first set, but they were unable to convert. And after the Frenchmen seized their sixth set point of the opener, they never looked back.

“It’s unbelievable,” Mahut said. “It was a fantastic week, maybe the best week to play, especially for doubles. The people, they love doubles, they love tennis and it was just fantastic… of course for us it’s even better with the trophy, but it was absolutely fantastic.”

Mahut and Roger-Vasselin, who earn 500 ATP Doubles Ranking points and a share of $123,000, will have little time to celebrate, though. The Frenchmen plan to depart Tokyo Sunday evening for Shanghai, where they will be the sixth seeds at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

“We’re going to try to fly tonight because the tournament’s starting tomorrow,” Mahut said. “I wish we could have stayed longer and have a great night here because we went to the fantastic restaurants and there are so many places to see here. The week was too short, we definitely have to come back.”

Mektic and Skugor fell short of their second ATP Tour title as a team. They add 300 points to their tallies and will share $60,200.

Nikoloz Basilashvili picked up the biggest title of his career last year at the China Open (d. Del Potro). The No. 15 seed at this year’s Rolex Shanghai Masters aims for another big week in Asia when he begins his campaign on Sunday against his doubles partner this week, Moldovan Radu Albot.

Who will win the first @FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting between these players?#RolexShMasters

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 6, 2019

Rising Pole Hubert Hurkacz, who picked up his first ATP Tour crown this August in Winston-Salem (d. Paire), meets Chinese wild card Zhizhen Zhang. The 22-year-old Zhang won his first-round matches in Zhuhai and Beijing. Portuguese Joao Sousa squares off against Serbian Filip Krajinovic.

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco looks to break the tie (1-1) in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Taylor Fritz. The 21-year-old American won his maiden ATP Tour title this June in Eastbourne (d. Querrey).

Three first-round doubles match will also take place on Monday, including 2017 champions Henri Kontinen/John Peers taking on Guido Pella/Pablo Cuevas.

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY 6 October 2019
CENTER COURT start 12:00 noon
[15] Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs Radu Albot (MDA)
Joao Sousa (POR) vs Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs Taylor Fritz (USA)
Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs [WC] Zhizhen Zhang (CHN)

Show Court 3 start 12:00 noon
Qualifying – Vasek Pospisil (CAN) vs Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Qualifying – [7] Cameron Norrie (GBR) vs [12] Thomas Fabbiano (ITA)
Qualifying – [1] Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) vs [11] Dominik Koepfer (GER)
[8] Mate Pavic (CRO) / Bruno Soares (BRA) vs Adrian Mannarino (FRA) / Gael Monfils (FRA)

Court 4 start 1:00 pm
Qualifying – [5] Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) vs Bradley Klahn (USA)
John Isner (USA) / Sam Querrey (USA) vs Alex de Minaur (AUS) / Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)
Henri Kontinen (FIN) / John Peers (AUS) vs Pablo Cuevas (URU) / Guido Pella (ARG)

To view the remainder of Sunday’s order of play, click here.

Aussie John Millman hopes that when his career comes to an end, he’ll have snapshots to look back on, moments from his career that he’ll never be able to forget. Whether a big win or a special opportunity, the Aussie cherishes those as much as anything.

The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships final on Sunday will be one of those memorable moments. The 30-year-old will face World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the 9,500-seat Colosseum at Ariake Tennis Park with his first ATP Tour title on the line.

The World No. 80 just hopes that when he looks back on this snapshot years from now, the image he remembers will be of him lifting the Tokyo trophy.

“Moments like these, battling your way and getting through to the final of an ATP 500, they’re moments that you’ll remember and they’re the ones that people ask you about when you’re away from tennis and for me, that’s why you work hard,” Millman said. “From the very start you’re just a little kid that has a dream to play tennis in the biggest cities in the world. I’m lucky to have done that, but I’m not done yet and hopefully I can create a few more moments at the back end of my career.”

The challenge will be a difficult one. Djokovic is going for his 76th tour-level title, whereas this is only Millman’s second final. Last year, the Aussie reached the championship match in Budapest.

One of Millman’s career highlights came at last year’s US Open, where he defeated Roger Federer en route to the quarter-finals. But standing in the way in the last eight was Djokovic, who leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-0.

“Novak is really tough. He’s obviously one of the greatest players to have played this sport, in my opinion, in the history of the game. He’s racked up so many titles, so many victories, and he’s just an incredibly tough player,” Millman said. “But I’m in the final, I’ve had to go through qualies, I’ve had to play many matches to get here. I really do feel as if I’m deserving of my spot. I hope to bring my best tennis, a physical brand of tennis, and really just give it all just for one more match.”

In terms of style of play, Millman believes he won’t be uncomfortable. Djokovic excels from the baseline, grinding opponents down and seizing every opportunity he finds to attack. That’s very similar to the way Millman enjoys playing.

“I’m preparing myself for a very physical encounter, and that’s the type of match I like. I like to engage in physical baseline tennis. I probably feel a little bit more comfortable in that type of match than a match like today where it’s just serve and first ball,” Millman said after defeating big-serving American Reilly Opelka. “But it’s going to be incredibly difficult.”

Millman had a weight lifted off his shoulders following the first round of qualifying. In a second-set tie-break against American Bradley Klahn, the Aussie saved three match points, and he has only been getting better since.

“I think it goes to show just how strong men’s tennis is right now. It’s ultra competitive. Every single match has been a bit of a battle, and it’s special,” Millman said. “Sometimes you’ve got to ride your luck a little bit and take those chances. It’s opened up for me and I think every match I’ve gotten better and better. I’ve gotten more used to the conditions out there and it really helps when you’re very comfortable in a country. I’m very comfortable here.

“[Japan has] always been a country where I’ve felt very much at ease coming here. The people make it a really special place and it’s pretty cool that I get to play one more match, and that’s the final.”

Millman’s “love affair” with Japan began nearly a decade ago in Kyoto, where he advanced to the quarter-finals of an ATP Challenger Tour event in March of 2010 with a victory against home favourite Takao Suzuki. Reminiscing on that memory drew a loud “ooh” from the local news media.

“That was a good win to play in the Challenger against Suzuki-san,” said Millman, who has won four Challenger titles in Japan. “I’ve played very good tennis here. I’ve won a fair few titles here, so it’s really sweet to come back and do [this] at the biggest tournament they have.”

Last October, Millman reached a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 33. But entering the Winston-Salem Open the week before the US Open, he owned only 14 tour-level wins on the year. There was plenty of pressure on him to defend the 360 points he earned by making the last eight at Flushing Meadows last year.

But he made the quarter-finals in Winston-Salem to gain some momentum. And despite losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in his New York opener, Millman kept it going with his 12th Challenger crown in Kaohsiung, and he has not looked back, pointing to that victory as a key moment. Now, he is in position to potentially earn his biggest win yet.

“The one thing I have done is I’ve stuck at it. I’ve kept my head up. It hasn’t been overly easy and there’s times when you get a little bit flustered with yourself. But if you stick at it, I’ve been through tougher times than that,” said Millman, who has undergone three surgeries during his career. “It wasn’t the be all and end all. I knew that I could create some pretty good opportunities for myself, and I’ve managed to do so… to come here and get all these matches, I’m really happy.”

The Rolex Shanghai Masters is the eighth of nine ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournaments on the 2019 ATP Tour calendar, and caps off the three-week Asian Swing. 

Nikolay Davydenko won the 2009 Rolex Shanghai Masters with victory over Rafael Nadal in the final, but since that inaugural edition, only three players — Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer — have hoisted the trophy at this Masters 1000 tournament. Djokovic, the defending champion, leads the way with four titles, followed by Murray with three and Federer with two. 

The trio will aim to continue the trend as they return for the 2019 edition. Djokovic and Federer, the top two seeds in Shanghai, are each looking to win their second Masters 1000 title of the season.

More From #RolexShMasters
* Shanghai Singles Draw Preview
* Shanghai Doubles Draw Preview
* All You Need To Know
* Can You Pass Our Quiz?

Stefanos Tsitsipas needed all his mental strength to overcome Alexander Zverev 7-6(6), 6-4 in a dramatic semi-final at the China Open on Saturday.

The 21-year-old was forced to save three consecutive set points at 3/6 in the first-set tie-break and almost let a 5-1 lead slip in the second set, before converting his sixth match point. Tsitsipas, who improves to 42-20 at tour-level this season, is now through to his fifth tour-level championship match of the year (2-2) following his one-hour, 51-minute victory.

“I didn’t play phenomenal, but I played smart. Smart is more important than phenomenal,” said Tsitsipas. “I did things right when I had to do them… I didn’t go for crazy shots or crazy targets. I just mixed the game. I was hanging in there and trying to suffer, trying to give it my all on the court, to play another five hours. That was the mindset I was on.”

Tsitsipas arrived in Beijing with just one win in his previous six tour-level matches, but the Greek can now add a third FedEx ATP Head2Head triumph in four matches against Zverev to his earlier wins against Dusan Lajovic, defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili and John Isner. The Marseille and Estoril titlist adds 120 points to his ATP Race To London total after securing the win, boosting his chances of becoming the sixth man to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in London. Tsitsipas increases his Race total to 3,370 points, which places him 1,135 points ahead of ninth-placed David Goffin (2,235 points).

His final opponent, Dominic Thiem, became the fifth man to book his spot at The O2 in London with his semi-final win against Karen Khachanov. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev will also feature at The 02 in London from 10-17 November.

“Thiem will be playing with a lot of intensity,” said Tsitsipas. “I’ve played him many times. I know his game consists of a lot of intensity, the power and the speed he puts in every single shot.

“He’s in a good form. He’s playing well. I just have to be serving well, playing well from behind, coming in. It’s important for me to stay focused in the crucial moments, in the moments where things are going to be decided in a few points.”

Zverev began the match quickly, stepping inside the court and firing flat shots to rush Tsitsipas into errors. The German came within a point of a 3-0 double-break lead, before Tsitsipas charged back with rapid court coverage skills to level the set at 3-3.

After trading breaks late in the set, Tsitsipas faced three consecutive set points at 3/6. But the Greek tightened his game and soaked up the pressure from Zverev to turn the tables on his rival. After levelling the score at 6/6, Tsitsipas fired an unreturned serve out wide and forced a volley error from Zverev to claim a gripping opener after 64 minutes.

“[At 3/6 down in the tie-break I wanted to] make every ball back. If the ball falls short, attack a bit more. Never let him feel comfortable with his shots, never feel like he can have options when playing,” said Tsitsipas. “That worked at that given moment. I just suffered to win those points.”

Tsitsipas rode the momentum into the second set, claiming back-to-back service breaks from 1-1 to move within two games of victory. The 21-year-old continued to play with consistency from behind the baseline and denied Zverev with successful passing shots when the German attempted to shorten points with trips to the net. Tsitsipas failed to convert five match-point opportunities as Zverev made a late comeback bid, but the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion claimed victory on his sixth match-point opportunity as Zverev’s backhand return landed beyond the baseline.

Zverev was also aiming to boost his chances of returning to the Nitto ATP Finals. The German, who lifted the trophy at The O2 last year, currently sits 20 points clear of Goffin with 2,255 points in the eighth and final qualification position.