Top seed Novak Djokovic and eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas face off in a battle of experience against youth on Sunday in the Mutua Madrid Open final. Djokovic seeks his third title in Madrid and 33rd ATP Masters 1000 title overall, while Tsitsipas looks to lift his first Masters 1000 crown. The Serbian can also tie Rafael Nadal’s record for most Masters 1000 titles (33) with a win on Sunday.

After struggling for form since capturing the Australian Open trophy in January (d. Nadal), Djokovic has produced his best tennis once again in Madrid. The World No. 1 hasn’t dropped a set this week and defeated arguably the most in-form clay-court player this season in fifth seed Dominic Thiem to reach the final.

Djokovic will have familiarity with the occasion on his side in Sunday’s final. He’s competing in his 48th Masters 1000 final (32-15) compared to just two for Tsitsipas (0-1). The Serbian is 2-0 in Madrid finals, defeating Nadal in 2011 and Andy Murray in 2016.

Who will win the latest @FedEx ATP Head2Head match between these players?

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) May 12, 2019

Although he’s the on-paper favourite, Djokovic knows better than to take his opponent lightly. The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals champion won their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting last August at the Rogers Cup en route to his maiden Masters 1000 final (l. to Nadal).

“He’s not an easy opponent to play against. He’s in form and a young player who is already Top 10 [in the ATP Rankings],” said Djokovic. “Hopefully I can be at my best because that is what is going to be needed to win.”

Tsitsipas is enjoying an incredible run in Madrid. The 20-year-old took out third seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals before stunning five-time champion Nadal in a three-set thriller. Tsitsipas showed outstanding court coverage and creativity in his shotmaking to defeat a player inside the Top 2 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career, but the Greek knows that Djokovic will pose a much different test to what he faced last year in Toronto.

“I have never faced him on clay, so I don’t know what to expect. I have seen plenty of his matches, but I’m going to try to adapt to the way he is playing on clay as fast as I can because I’m pretty sure he is not easy on clay,” said Tsitsipas. “I’m going to have to be mentally focused and also psychologically ready for a fight. That will be very important in tomorrow’s match.”

Tsitsipas was ranked No. 40 in the ATP Rankings at this time last year and had to go through the qualifying draw in Rome. His rapid ascension since then includes his first three ATP Tour titles in Stockholm 2018 (d. Gulbis), Marseille 2019 (d. Kukushkin) and Estoril 2019 (d. Cuevas). He’s also reached his first Masters 1000 final in Toronto and first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open. Tsitsipas is guaranteed to hit a career-high ATP Ranking of at least No. 7 on Monday, pending Sunday’s championship result.

With all the milestone firsts he’s been experiencing, Tsitsipas is confident he can add one more by taking his first Masters 1000 title.

“I’m more experienced [than last year], more fit and experience plays a huge role in the way you are going to play,” said Tsitsipas. “And more courageous. [I am] a more courageous Stefanos with more guts and mentally much tougher than I was the year before.”

The doubles final will see the Argentine-Austrian combination of Diego Schwartzman and Thiem face Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romanian Horia Tecau. Rojer-Tecau are seeking their second Masters 1000 title together, having won Madrid in 2016 (d. Bopanna/Mergea), while Schwartzman-Thiem look for their first ATP Tour doubles title at any level.

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2019

MANOLO SANTANA start 3:30pm
Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) / Horia Tecau (ROU) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG) / Dominic Thiem (AUT)
Not Before 6:30 pm
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [8] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)

Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas earned one of the biggest wins of his career on Saturday, defeating five-time champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the final of the Mutua Madrid Open.

“It means the world. I’m really happy that I proved myself today. I played one of my best games this year,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m really happy that I’m fighting, I’m in the zone. I’m enjoying tennis at its fullest potential. It’s really nice to be able to play this way. Today’s victory is just an unbelievable feeling.”

It is the three-time ATP Tour titlist’s second ATP Masters 1000 final, after also making the championship match at the Rogers Cup last year, losing to Nadal. Thanks to his victory, the 20-year-old is projected climb to a career-high ATP Ranking of at least No. 7 on Monday pending his result against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final.

Entering this match, Nadal had won all three of his FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Tsitsipas, claiming all seven sets they had played with only two of those sets going past 6-2. But Tsitsipas showed no fear of his opponent or the moment at the Caja Magica, playing aggressively throughout to triumph on his fourth match point after two hours and 34 minutes. He has now won eight consecutive matches.

“You cannot imagine the relief. It’s unbelievable. I don’t want to say this, but it almost felt like I lost hope at some point. [I lost] three in a row [against him],” Tsitsipas said. “I felt in Toronto when I played him I was very close and this match kind of gave me a bit of confidence I can do it in the future, but then it was too much. [I’m] really happy that I overcame this and dealt with it mentally. Beating him on clay makes it even more special”

Nadal held 26 of his 27 service games in Madrid to get to the last four. But Tsitsipas set the tone with an immediate service break, and he broke the Spaniard’s serve three times in the opener to show the second seed and the crowd that he was ready to challenge the five-time champion. Overall, the 20-year-old broke serve six times, while saving 11 of the 16 break points he faced.

“The mental discipline and being tough and being decisive in all those crucial moments I think was the key,” Tsitsipas said. “I had to take all those opportunities. Rafa is a fighter. He doesn’t give you free points. You’ve got to fight and give your best on every single point.”

Nadal dug into the Spanish clay after losing the opening set, winning his first two service games of the second set to love to change the momentum, moving his feet constantly to put himself in a position to thump his forehand and keep Tsitsipas from playing aggressively. The Spaniard broke twice and held all four of his service games to force a decider.

When many players may have wilted against both the physicality of Nadal’s game or the pressure of the stage, Tsitsipas continued to step into the court, taking the Spaniard’s topspin groundstrokes as early as he could and venturing to net plenty. Although Tsitsipas could not serve out the match at 5-2, he broke for the third time in the set to finish the match, dropping his racquet to the court after Nadal missed a backhand into the net.

Tsitsipas leads the ATP Tour with 27 match wins (27-9) this season, and with his triumphs in Marseille and Estoril, the 20-year-old is one of four players to capture multiple trophies thus far in 2019. Last year, Tsitsipas lost in the first round of the main draw in Madrid as the 40th player in the ATP Rankings. On Sunday, he will look to extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Djokovic to 2-0, after also defeating the Serbian in Toronto.

“I have to play the same way. I have to be mentally prepared for a tough match. He’s in a pretty good state of his tennis, so it won’t be easy. He had some good matches coming into the final, so I’m going to have to be ready for that match,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m sure he wants the title as badly as me.”

Nadal was trying to reach his 50th ATP Masters 1000 final, and his ninth final in Madrid. The second seed is still pursuing his first trophy in 2019.

“I didn’t have a good feeling today to do the things I wanted to do and that’s all,” Nadal said. “I was clear what I had to do today, but tonight I wasn’t capable of doing it.”

Did You Know?
Tsitsipas prevailed in the match, but Nadal won six more points than the #NextGenATP Greek.

Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem advanced to their second final of the 2019 season on Saturday, beating Guido Pella and Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-2 at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Schwartzman and Thiem, who reached the Argentina Open championship match in February (l. to Gonzalez/Zeballos), saved all four break points they faced to advance after 57 minutes. The Argentine-Austrian tandem dropped just five points behind its first serves (23/28) to set a final meeting with Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.

Schwartzman and Thiem navigated two Match Tie-breaks en route to the last four. The unseeded duo came from a set down to beat David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 10-3 in the first round and also rallied to beat sixth seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 in the quarter-finals.

The unseeded duo improves to 9-3 at tour-level as a team. Schwartzman and Thiem first competed as a pairing at the 2017 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, before back-to-back appearances at the Argentina Open in 2018 and 2019.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic sent a message loud and clear on Saturday: he is back in top form.

Djokovic reached his third Mutua Madrid Open final by beating fifth seed Dominic Thiem 7-6(2), 7-6(4). The Serbian, who is into his first final since triumphing at the Australian Open, ended the recent Barcelona champion’s eight-match winning streak, eliminating the Austrian after a physical baseline battle that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.

“I played the best match of the clay-court season so far, for me, against arguably the best tennis player in the world on this surface, so far [this season]” said Djokovic. “[Dominic] had an amazing tournament in Barcelona and here he beat Roger yesterday in a thrilling match. So, he was in form… I just managed to hold my nerves and play the best when it was most needed.”

The two-time Madrid champion, who had made just one quarter-final in three tournaments since his Melbourne win, is trying to tie Rafael Nadal’s record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles. When Djokovic has won a semi-final at the Caja Magica (2011 and 2016), he has gone on to lift the trophy each time. The Serbian will face World No. 2 Rafael Nadal or reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday.

Early on, Thiem appeared to be riding the momentum from his thrilling quarter-final victory against Roger Federer, using his power to overwhelm Djokovic for an early break. But the top seed remained calm and raised his level to match Thiem’s push, showing incredible defence to earn his first break point. Djokovic didn’t waste the opportunity, as Thiem missed an inside-in forehand from a tough position to give back the break.

Thiem earned two more opportunities to break Djokovic at 4-4, and a second time violation assessed to the Serbian forced Djokovic to defend the first of those chances on his second serve. But the top seed again raised his level to hold serve. And in the eventual tie-break, Djokovic’s defence was too strong, forcing Thiem into unforced errors.

But the physicality of Thiem’s baseline game seemingly began to wear down Djokovic’s defences, as he broke for 4-2 in the second set after a game that lasted more than 10 minutes. But in the next game Djokovic put immediate pressure back on the Austrian with returns that landed near the baseline to get back on serve.

The twists and turns continued as the World No. 1 served for the match at 6-5, but double faulted his advantage away. However, Djokovic maintained his focus in the tie-break and moved through to the championship match at his first opportunity when Thiem mishit a backhand well out.

Thiem had won the pair’s past two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, which both came on clay (2017 Roland Garros and 2018 Monte-Carlo), but Djokovic now has a 6-2 edge in their rivalry.

“I never complain about [reaching an ATP Masters] 1000 semi-final. It’s a very good result,” said Thiem. “I beat three very good players and I lost [in two tie-break sets] to Djokovic… It was a very good tournament and now I will enjoy the doubles [semi-final].”

Did You Know?
Djokovic now owns 199 wins against Top 10 opponents (199-90). That is more victories against the elite group than the other three Madrid semi-finalists combined (189-133).

The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is the third of three clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournaments, following the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Mutua Madrid Open.

An 18-year-old Rafael Nadal won his first Rome title in 2005 by defeating Guillermo Coria in a memorable five hour, 14 minute final. Last year, the Spaniard lifted the trophy at the Foro Italico for a record eighth time with victory over defending champion Alexander Zverev. 

Nadal and Djokovic shared 11 straight trophies from 2005-2015, with the Serbian winning four times (2008, 2001, 2014-15).

Read: Rome Draw Preview | What You Need To Know