The Serbian defeated Holger Rune in a physical and high-level match
With this victory, Nole will end the year at the top of the ranking no matter what happens
Novak Djokovic debuted with victory in the ATP Finals, defeating the Danish Holger Rune 7-6 (4) and 6-7 (1) and 6-3 in the second match of the day in the Green Group. A hard-fought victory in a physical and high-level tennis duel. A victory that serves the Belgrade tennis player to finish the year as number one, no matter what happens in the tournament.
The match started evenly, with Rune becoming stronger than the rest and both maintaining their services with some ease. Until the fifth game, in which the Norwegian He put number one on the ropes and ended up signing the break, with a double fault from the Serbian included. The joy did not last long because Nole signed the counterbreak and the duel was equal again. There was no more and the round ended up being decided in a tie-break that fell on the Balkan side.
The script in the second set started perfectly. With the Dane adding to the rest and getting the first break, in an early second game. And this time, as in the previous one, Djokovic returned the coin with another break in a very long game of more than eight minutes.
Everything, both displaying high-level tennis to delight a dedicated Turin audience. After a truce in the sixth and seventh, which went blank, the battle returned.
In such a complete match for both sides, the duel was decided again in the tiebreaker. There Rune forged an initial 5-0 that helped him force the third and final set.
Nole calmed down by scoring his first blank serve. By the way, and while he touched his neck trying to relieve the tension, he broke the game in the second game, changing the script of the match. But this time, it was the Scandinavian who hit back, with another break. The Serbian also received boos from the public, after breaking, out of pure rage, two rackets in a row, stomping. Rune, meanwhile, received medical assistance to relieve tension.
Once he got over his anger, Nole went into Nole mode and there, before a tired Rune, he made no concessions to score the set and the match after more than three hours of battle.