Tennis News

Scouting Report: Federer Leads The Way In Geneva, Thiem & Tsitsipas In Action In Lyon

After consecutive weeks of ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, the ATP Tour heads to Geneva and Lyon for ATP 250 events on clay.

Roger Federer will lead the way at the Gonet Geneva Open in his home country of Switzerland, and Dominic Thiem headlines the field at the Open Parc d’Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes-Lyon. ATPTour.com looks at five things you should watch at each event.

View Draws: Geneva | Lyon

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GENEVA
1) Roger’s Debut: Federer will play an ATP Tour event in Geneva for the first time, and he brings a 32-match winning streak on home soil into this tournament. The home favourite has competed in tour-level matches in Geneva before, going 9-0 in Davis Cup and 2-0 in Laver Cup here. The 39-year-old is pursuing his first title since triumphing in Basel in 2019, and a victory this week would give him 104 tour-level trophies (just five behind Open Era record-holder Jimmy Connors, who won 109). The Swiss superstar will begin his run against Spaniard Pablo Andujar or Aussie Jordan Thompson.

Federer is one of two Swiss in the main draw, joined by 2020 Roland Garros boys’ singles champion Dominic Stephan Stricker. The 18-year-old has practised with Federer, and he will make his tour-level debut against former World No. 3 Marin Cilic.

2) Shapo Surging: Second seed Denis Shapovalov will hope for a big week after falling in the third round in Rome against Rafael Nadal, where he pushed the legendary lefty to the brink at the Foro Italico. Nadal needed a final-set tie-break to dispatch the Canadian. Shapovalov, who is also making his Geneva debut, will open against Italian Stefano Travaglia or a qualifier.

3) Ruud On A Roll: One of the toughest clay-court players on the entire ATP Tour in recent months has been Norwegian Casper Ruud. The 22-year-old has made the semi-finals in his past three tournaments, two of which were ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Madrid. The third seed this week in Geneva, Ruud will attempt to lift his second tour-level trophy after triumphing in Buenos Aires last year. The Norwegian will play two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren or Italian Salvatore Caruso in the second round.

4) Garin & Grigor: Two players to watch for are fifth seed Cristian Garin and fourth-seeded wild card Grigor Dimitrov. Garin is the other seeded player in Federer’s quarter of the draw. The Chilean has won five ATP Tour titles, all of which have come on clay. Dimitrov, the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion, has proven a dangerous foe when he is on his game. The Bulgarian will chase his first crown since triumphing at The O2 four years ago.

5) Marach & Pavic Top Seeds: Mate Pavic has dominated the doubles circuit this year alongside Nikola Mektic. The Croatians have won six titles in 2021, including three at Masters 1000 events. But for this week, Pavic will reunite with Oliver Marach. The pair claimed six trophies together, including a victory at the 2018 Australian Open. They are the top seeds in Geneva.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN LYON
1) Thiem Time: The top seed in Lyon is Thiem, the 2018 champion. Three years ago, the Austrian won three consecutive three-setters to lift the trophy here. Thiem will try to continue regaining rhythm in his third tournament since Dubai after making the semi-finals in Madrid and the third round in Rome. He will begin his run at this French ATP 250 against a lefty: home favourite Corentin Moutet or Briton Cameron Norrie.

2) Tsitsipas Shining: Stefanos Tsitsipas has enjoyed a tremendous start to 2021, tied with Andrey Rublev for the most wins this season (29). The Greek star will try to quickly bounce back from the disappointment of losing an epic quarter-final against Novak Djokovic in Rome and get back on track in Lyon, where he is the second seed. Tsitsipas won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and he will try to add his second crown of the season this week. Making his tournament debut, the 22-year-old will first face former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or American Tommy Paul.

3) Monfils On The Move: Fifth seed Gael Monfils has lifted four of his 10 ATP Tour trophies on home soil (three in Montpellier), and he will try to add a fifth this week in Lyon. The home favourite made his debut at this tournament in 2018, losing in the first round. Monfils played just his second tournament of the season last week in Rome, where he battled hard in a tight three-set loss against eventual semi-finalist Lorenzo Sonego. The 34-year-old will attempt to earn his first victory of the season when he opens his Lyon campaign against South African Lloyd Harris.

4) #NextGenATP Stars In Action: Some of the ATP Tour’s biggest #NextGenATP stars will compete at the Open Parc d’Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes-Lyon. Sixth seed Jannik Sinner leads the way, and he will face a stiff challenge against 2021 breakthrough star Aslan Karatsev in the first round. Seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime will play 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti in the first round. Sebastian Korda, the 20-year-old who made the Miami quarter-finals, will face the winner if he gets by home favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

5) Herbert/Mahut Try To Win At Home: Frenchmen Herbert and Nicolas Mahut are the top seeds in the Lyon doubles draw. The last time the pair triumphed on home soil together was at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2019. Another team to watch is Petros Tsitsipas and older brother Stefanos Tsitsipas, who received a wild card

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Nadal Fights Past Djokovic For Record-Extending 10th Rome Crown

Rafael Nadal overcame a mid-match surge from Novak Djokovic and raised his level in the deciding set to triumph 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 on Sunday and lift his 10th trophy at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

In the 57th meeting of the ATP Tour’s most prolific rivalry, top seed Djokovic was facing second seed Nadal for the ninth time at the Foro Italico (Nadal leads 6-3). Nadal improved to 4-2 in Rome finals against Djokovic with the victory, and brought his ATP Head2Head record against the Serbian to 28-29 overall.

“It’s a very satisfying [victory],” Nadal said in his post-match press conference. “It’s amazing [to] have the trophy with me again one more time here in Rome. The 10th, I really wanted this 10th here in Rome. It was one of the first important titles that I won in my career.

“After achieving 10 in Roland Garros, 10 in Monte-Carlo, 10 in Barcelona, I really wanted this one.”

Read More: Nadal Claws Closer To Djokovic In ‘Big Titles’ Race

The victory also earned Nadal a 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown, equalling Djokovic’s record since the series was established in 1990.

Most ATP Masters 1000 Titles (since 1990)

With his 88th tour-level title, Nadal surged into the sixth position in the FedEx ATP Race to Turin. He sits just 10 points behind Daniil Medvedev and 30 points behind Alexander Zverev, who holds the fourth position. Djokovic overtook Andrey Rublev to sit in second position, turning up the heat on Race leader Stefanos Tsitsipas. Only 190 points separate Djokovic and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion Tsitsipas.

Most Titles in Open Era (since 1968)
1 @JimmyConnors 109
2 @RogerFederer 103
3 Ivan Lendl 94
4 @RafaelNadal 88
5 @DjokerNole 82
6 John McEnroe 77
7 @RodLaver 72
8 Bjorn Borg 66
9T Ilie Nastase 64
9T Pete Sampras 64#IBI21

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 16, 2021

Djokovic spent nearly five hours on court (4hrs, 56 mins) yesterday after winning his rain-delayed quarter-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas and a semi-final epic against Lorenzo Sonego to reach the final, while Nadal needed an hour and a half to take down Reilly Opelka.

Djokovic, who was bidding to record his first win on clay against the Spaniard since the 2016 Rome quarter-finals, showed little signs of fatigue in the opening set against Nadal. The Serbian raced out to a 2-0 lead by staying aggressive and keeping the points short. But Nadal broke straight back, and his forehand speed steadily climbed as the match unfolded, earning 15 of his 21 winners in the first set and 26 of 37 overall.

Graphic courtesy of Hawk-Eye Innovations/ATP Media

“I think I have been playing better and better with my forehand the past couple of weeks, getting to the confidence point,” Nadal said. “[There were] moments [that] I could change more times down the line than what I did… But the positive thing is the winners and the solutions with my forehand have been much better than the past couple of weeks.

“That’s a huge improvement for me, [a] very important shot. Especially on clay it’s gives me confidence.”

Read More: Mektic/Pavic Win Sixth Trophy Of Season In Rome

Nadal stayed patient to claim the decisive break late in the set, taking advantage of a shaky service game from the Serbian at 5-5 to claim the lead, sealing the set after an hour and 15 minutes.

But a dip in Nadal’s intensity gave the Australian Open champion the opening he needed at the start of the second set. The Spaniard held a break point at 1-1 for an early edge, but Djokovic’s big first serves bailed him out of trouble. The World No. 1 let out a roar, and the comeback was on as he applied the pressure on Nadal with deep returns to claim a 3-1 lead.

Djokovic reeled off the last five games in a row, and arrived at set point with his fifth ace of the match. The Serbian outlasted Nadal at the baseline, earning a backhand error from the Spaniard to take the second set in 43 minutes.

The nine-time Rome champion overcame a crucial stage of the final set at 2-2, where Djokovic fought his way to two break points. Nadal held firm and raised his level in the next game, painting the lines with forehand winners to break to love for a 4-2 lead. He converted his second championship point after Djokovic sent a backhand long, sealing the victory after two hours and 49 minutes.

Did You Know?
Rafael Nadal has now won 10 or more tour-level titles at four different events. In addition to his 10th Rome title, Nadal owns 13 Roland Garros trophies, 12 in Barcelona and 11 in Monte-Carlo – setting tournament records at each one.

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Italian Open: Iga Swiatek beats Karolina Pliskova in Rome final

Polish teenager Iga Swiatek thrashes Czech ninth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 to win the Italian Open.

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Mektic/Pavic Win Sixth Trophy Of Season In Rome

Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic powered their way to a sixth trophy — and third ATP Masters 1000 crown — of the season on Sunday with victory in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final.

The second seeds completed the week without dropping a set after a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over fifth seeds Rajeev Ram of the United States and Briton Joe Salisbury in 84 minutes at the Foro Italico in Rome.

“It feels great and we’re very happy with the way we played the whole tournament,” said Pavic. “We didn’t drop a set, so it showed how well we played throughout the week. It was a tough match. There were only a couple of chances in the first set before it became tighter in the second set from 6/0 to 6/4 [in the tie-break]. I hope we can keep going.

“The goal is to qualify for the [Nitto] ATP Finals in Turin. I was hoping we’d have good results, but it has surprised me a little bit as we hadn’t played together before this year.”

Mektic added, “Mate hit some good returns in the tie-break. It was a tough second set and we struggled with the return, as this court is a little faster than the other courts. It’s been an amazing year, but we expected to do well [at the start of the year].”

Mektic and Pavic, who follow in the footsteps of compatriot Goran Ivanisevic, who won the 1991 Rome doubles title with Italian Omar Camporese, are now 6-2 in 2021 championship matches.

Mektic, 32, and Pavic, 27, who are No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings with a 37-4 match record this year, also clinched titles at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek), Murray River Open in Melbourne (d. Chardy/Martin), ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Krawietz/Tecau), the Miami Open presented by Itau and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Evans/N. Skupski both times).

A lack of first serves cost Ram in the fifth game of the first set, with Mektic and Pavic breaking serve after three consecutive return winners. Ram and Salisbury made life a little uncomfortable for Pavic, when he served for the set at 5-4, but the 27-year-old held his nerve on a Deciding Deuce point. Mektic and Pavic won 90 per cent of their first-service points in the 33-minute opener.

When Pavic hit a routine forehand volley wide at 15/15 on Ram’s serve at 2-2 in the second set, the momentum started to shift. Ram and Salisbury returned better and later Pavic did well to recover from 0/30 at 5-6. The Croatians hit their first serves in a strong start to the tie-break and while Ram and Salisbury won four straight points from an 0/6 deficit, Mektic closed out with an ace.

Ram and Salisbury, who lost to Mektic and Pavic 6-3, 7-6(5) in the Miami semi-finals last month, are now 17-8 in their third season as a team. They had been attempting to capture their fourth crown (2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, 2019 Erste Bank Open in Vienna, 2020 Australian Open).

Last week, Mektic and Pavic were beaten in the Mutua Madrid Open final by Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

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Ram/Salisbury Double Duty Sets Mektic/Pavic Final

Australian Open finalists Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury claimed two victories on Saturday to book their place in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final, where they will face second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic for their first trophy of the year. 

The fifth seeds were set to take on Mutua Madrid Open champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos on Friday, but heavy rain halted play before they could take the court. As a result, they faced the prospect of having to play their quarter-final and semi-final matches on the same day – but they stayed focussed to reach their second tour-level final of the season. 

In the quarter-finals, Ram and Salisbury had to weather a mid-match surge from Granollers and Zeballos, who saved all five break points they faced. But Ram and Salisbury were decisive in the first-set tie-break and Match Tie-break to claim a 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-2 victory in an hour and 48 minutes.

After suitable rest, the fifth seeds hit the court again to face Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop. This time, it was Ram and Salisbury who bossed the break points, saving all three en route to a 6-4, 6-4 victory to book a spot in the final.

Their opponents Mektic and Pavic are the No. 1 team in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings and boast a 36-4 record since teaming up for the first time at the start of the season. 

They have not dropped a set all week en route to their fourth ATP Masters 1000 final after back-to-back victories at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. They became the first team since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (2014, 2018) to reach the first four finals at this level in a single season since the series started in 1990.

Mektic and Pavic were made to work for that record, narrowly edging John Peers and Michael Venus 7-6(5), 7-6(4) over an hour and 41 minutes.

The Croatians own a 1-0 lead in the FedEx ATP Head2Head against Ram and Salisbury, winning 6-3, 7-6(5) over the American-British duo in the Miami semi-finals.

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Federer Practising Ahead Of Geneva Debut

Roger Federer is hard at work ahead of his debut at the Gonet Geneva Open, training hard at the Tennis Club de Genève at the Parc des Eaux-Vives.

The former World No. 1 owns a 32-match winning streak on home soil, with his most recent loss in Switzerland coming on 27 October 2013 in the Swiss Indoors Basel final against Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer will compete for the second time this season. In March, the 39-year-old lost in the quarter-finals in Doha against frequent practice partner Daniel Evans.

The top seed will begin his tournament against Pablo Andujar or Jordan Thompson. Federer has not yet played either man. The first seeded opponent the 103-time tour-level titlist could play is fifth seed Cristian Garin, a five-time ATP Tour titlist who has lifted each of those trophies on clay.

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Djokovic vs Nadal: The Eternal Duo In The Eternal City

Once again, the eternal duo is left standing in the Eternal City.

After a week of twists and turns, upsets and epics at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, it will be top seed Novak Djokovic facing second seed Rafael Nadal in their sixth championship clash on Sunday.

Djokovic and Nadal have faced off a total of eight times before at the Foro Italico, dating back to their first meeting in the 2007 quarter-finals. Nadal won that match comfortably, but as their rivalry grew over the years so did the level of competition. The Spaniard owns a 5-3 lead in their Rome matchups, while Djokovic now boasts the overall ATP Head2Head edge in their legendary rivalry (29-27).

Their combined dominance of this ATP Masters 1000 event has been something to behold: Djokovic and Nadal have won 14 of the past 16 editions, and at least one player has been in every Rome final dating back to 2005. Nadal has lifted a record nine trophies, while Djokovic has claimed five.

“It’s great to play him again in the final. He’s the guy that I have encountered the most in my career,” Djokovic said after his semi-final match. “[He is] definitely my biggest rival of all time. Playing him on clay in the finals of one of the biggest tournaments in the world is always extra motivating for me.

“Even after all we have been through in our careers there’s still this excitement when we have to face each other.”

Sunday’s meeting will be a rematch of the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019 finals. Taking a look at how those previous championship matches went can give fans a clue at what to expect when these two meet for a record-extending 57th time.

Djokovic vs Nadal: Rome Finals

Each match in the Italian capital has been a highly competitive affair, with Nadal and Djokovic locked into lengthy battles, tie-breaks or deciding sets in each of their previous five finals.

This spells bad news for Djokovic, who reached the final after having to contest two matches on Saturday due to heavy rain interrupting his quarter-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The final two sets alone of his 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over the Greek each clocked in at over an hour (1hr 5min and 1hr 22min, respectively), but the job wasn’t done yet. Djokovic took the court a few hours later against Lorenzo Sonego, and needed nearly three hours to move past the Italian (2hr 44mins) after he saved match points in the second set, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2. 

“I’m very proud of what I have achieved today,” Djokovic said. “It was a very long day. [I] spent five hours almost on the court. [I] dug myself out of a very difficult situation versus Tsitsipas. He was so close to winning it. Somehow I managed to turn it around… I thought I played even on a higher level against Sonego.”

Djokovic will be aiming for a strong start and an early lead against Nadal on Sunday, as he knows better than anyone how dangerous it can be to give the Spaniard any kind of an advantage on the red clay.

By contrast, Nadal spent just over an hour and a half on court on Saturday in his semi-final against big-serving Reilly Opelka, breaking once in each set of his 6-4, 6-4 victory.

“I think I played the match that I had to play… I had two breaks, two sets. That’s a positive thing for me,” Nadal acknowledged in his post-match press conference. “[To] be in the final again here means a lot to me.

“I have been playing better, worse, but always [trending] in a positive line. I am playing better when the weeks are coming. Here, I had a very tough draw and I was able to find a way to be in the final.”

Although their experiences on semi-final Saturday could not have been more different, 34-year-old Nadal and 33-year-old Djokovic’s paths to becoming the oldest Rome finalists in the Open Era have been eerily parallel.

Both players were tested by #NextGenATP stars and talented young players in the early rounds, with Nadal taking down 19-year-old Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-4 in his opener and having to save match points to move past Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3). Djokovic overcame a stern test against Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6(5) before cruising past 21-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-1. 

They then had to contend against established stars and Masters 1000 champions in the quarter-finals – Djokovic against Tsitsipas, and Nadal against Alexander Zverev – before finding a way past surprise semi-finalists Sonego and Opelka.

But whether rain or shine, #NextGenATP stars or Top 10 heavyweights – no matter what Rome threw their way, Djokovic and Nadal were once again left standing at the end of it all in the Eternal City.

“Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against Tsitsipas,” Djokovic revealed. “We kind of joked around that the old guys are still not giving up. I saw [that] he said somewhere a few days ago that Roger, him and I are old, but I disagree with him. I think we’re showing some different, fresh energy.

“We had a laugh about it… I’m really glad that we are showing we’re not backing off from the #NextGenATP attacks.”

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021
CENTER COURT start 2:30 pm
WTA – [15] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [9] K. Pliskova (CZE)

Not Before 5:00 pm
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)

GRAND STAND ARENA start 12:30 pm
WTA – [ALT] S. Fichman (CAN) / G. Olmos (MEX) vs [4] S. Aoyama (JPN) / E. Shibahara (JPN)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[5] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs [2] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO)

Not Before 5:30 pm
WTA Doubles Final

Did You Know? 
Novak Djokovic (36) and Rafael Nadal (35) lead all players in ATP Masters 1000 championships. They also boast the most on clay courts, with Nadal owning 25 titles and Djokovic 10. They are both seeking their first Masters 1000 title of the year in Rome.

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Trending Upwards, Rafa's Clay Stock Set For Market Top In Rome Final

Rafael Nadal didn’t play a ‘beautiful match’ in his Internazionali BNL d’Italia semi-final, but he got the job done against big-serving Reilly Opelka to book his 12th final in Rome.

After struggling to reach his best form on clay this year, Nadal has steadily raised his level in Rome to reach a record-equalling 52nd ATP Masters 1000 final. (Djokovic reached his 53rd final later in the day to take back the record.)

The World No. 3 reached the quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters before falling to an inspired Andrey Rublev in three sets, and was tested in every round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he lifted his 12th trophy (d. Tsitsipas). At the Mutua Madrid Open, he posted a quarter-final finish after being upset by Alexander Zverev in straight sets.

“I have been through [a] positive process during the last month,” Nadal reflected in his post-match press conference. “I played four events. That’s the main thing for me. I was able to do my full schedule. I played two quarter-finals. I won a tournament. Now a final here.

“I have been playing better, worse, but always [trending] in a positive line. I am playing better when the weeks are coming. Here, I had a very tough draw and I was able to find a way to be in the final.”

To reach his 12th final in Rome, Nadal had to manoeuvre past #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner, save match points against lefty Denis Shapovalov, claim his revenge over Zverev and outgun big-serving Opelka. Each player presented a unique challenge, and Nadal passed with flying colours.

“Tomorrow is a final, an important one, and I want to be competitive. I want to play a good match and let’s see.

“I have been through [a] positive process during the last month. I played four events. That’s the main thing for me. I was able to do my full schedule… I spent plenty of hours on court. In terms of preparation, I consider [it] done. Then I have to adjust a couple more things, but I have two weeks to prepare.”

Nadal will face top seed and five-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic for the 57th time in their ATP Head2Head rivalry (Djokovic leads 29-27) as he seeks his 10th trophy in the Eternal City. Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 editions of this event and will meet for the ninth time at the Foro Italico on Sunday, where Nadal leads 5-3.

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Andy Murray chooses to miss French Open

Andy Murray will not play at the French Open and will instead focus on preparing for the grass-court season.

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Djokovic Sets Blockbuster Nadal Final After Sonego Epic

Hours after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, top seed Novak Djokovic triumphed in a semi-final epic against Italian Lorenzo Sonego to reach his 10th final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

World No. 1 Djokovic was up a set and a break against Sonego and held match points in the second set, but he was in for a battle as the Italian dug deep and rallied Campo Centrale to send them the distance. But the five-time Rome champion raised his level in the deciding set to seal the victory 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 after two hours and 43 minutes.

“I have only myself to blame for not closing the match in two sets,” Djokovic said. “At the end of the day, he is showing why he reached his first [ATP Masters 1000] semi-finals. He’s a quality player. [It is] not easy to play against him. Obviously he had the crowd behind him. It was an electric atmosphere out there on the court.”

The defending champion booked a mouthwatering 56th clash against rival Rafael Nadal in the championship match. Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 editions of this event and will meet for the ninth time at the Foro Italico on Sunday (Nadal leads 5-3).

“I don’t have much time [to recover], I played a lot of tennis,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I’ll have fresh legs, because that’s what I definitely will need. It’s necessary in order to have a chance against Rafa.

“He also had some tough matches, obviously myself, with rain delays and everything that has happened today. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be fresh and I’ll give it all.”

The Serbian was made to do double duty after yesterday’s rain halted his quarter-final match against Tsitsipas, but Djokovic returned to the Foro Italico on Saturday and came back from a set and a break down to claim a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory. 

Up against Sonego, who defeated him in their only previous ATP Head2Head encounter last year in Vienna, Djokovic had to be on fire from the outset to weather the Italian’s highlight-reel worthy drop shots and forehands and secure a record 53rd ATP Masters 1000 final berth. 

After defeating seventh seed Andrey Rublev earlier in the day, Sonego set the tone early on against Djokovic with a perfectly disguised drop shot in the very first point, and Djokovic responded by racing up to the net to track it down for a winner. As the partisan crowd roared for their home favourite, Djokovic applied the pressure and used his backhand to dictate play, earning the decisive break at 2-1 in the opening set.

Djokovic must have read the scouting report on Sonego, because he was ready for the many drop shots that came his way and frequently responded in kind, to great success. He kept Sonego guessing as he changed the direction of the ball with his down-the-line backhand. 

The World No. 1 created eight break points in the tightly contested 91-minute second set, which came down to the wire with the opening 10 games going to the server. At 4-4, Sonego buried a putaway passing shot into the net and followed it with a double fault – giving Djokovic an opening and two break points, but the Italian held firm after a marathon 10-minute game. 

Sonego responded emphatically in another 10-minute battle a game later, bringing up his first two set points, but once again Djokovic held firm. From deep behind the baseline, Djokovic tracked down a Sonego drop shot and flicked it over the net for a pass to finally claim a break of serve at 5-5. 

But Sonego dug deep in the high-pressure moments, and capitalised on Djokovic’s attackable second serves to save two match points and send them into a tie-break. He rallied the fans at the Foro Italico as he dug his way out of a 0/3 deficit, and converted his fourth set point to narrowly escape with the second set.

The Italian didn’t miss a beat as he raced ahead to a 0/40 lead in Djokovic’s first service game, but the World No. 1 raised his level to deny him the early break. Instead it was Djokovic who drew first blood at 2-1, and silenced Campo Centrale as he took a 4-1 lead. Nearly one hour after his first match point, Djokovic finally arrived at a second and sealed his victory after Sonego sent a forehand into the net.

“I think I bounced back very well after the second set,” Djokovic said. “I lost the first game Love/40, 30/40, missed a forehand down the line. Maybe if he started with a break up in the third, things would look differently.”

Did You Know? 
Novak Djokovic (36) and Rafael Nadal (35) lead all players in ATP Masters 1000 championships. They also boast the most on clay courts, with Nadal owning 25 titles and Djokovic 10. 

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