Watch: Djokovic ‘proud’ to prevail in ‘gruelling’ Athens Open final against Musetti
Video credit: SNTV
Novak Djokovic broke Roger Federer‘s hard-court wins record after overcoming Lorenzo Musetti in Athens and subsequently decided to withdraw from the upcoming ATP Finals.
Djokovic won the title on Saturday with a 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory, which had the crowd on the edge of their seats in the Greek capital.
The Serbian was clearly overjoyed after the match as he ripped off his shirt in celebration, before lapping up the applause of the fans.
The 38-year-old has now won nine of his 10 meetings with Musetti, after the latest milestone in a fantastic career.
Following the match, it emerged that Djokovic had offered his place to Musetti at the ATP Finals which begin on Sunday.
Speaking after the match in his on-court interview, Djokovic said: “An incredible battle. Three hours of a gruelling match, physically.
Highlights: Djokovic edges past Musetti in Athens Open final to claim 101st career title
Video credit: SNTV
“It could have been anybody’s match, so congrats to Lorenzo for an amazing performance. I’m just very proud of myself to get through this one.”
Musetti claimed the first set after breaking Djokovic’s serve in the third game, drawing first blood after 49 minutes.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion recovered to take the second after a decisive break in the eighth game, before wrapping up the set on his serve.
A blockbuster decider followed, which included 13 break points and five breaks of serve in a gripping finale.
Djokovic would ultimately secure his 101st career title and his 72nd on a hard court to break Federer’s Open Era record.
That defeat came three years ago on home soil at the Serbia Open, where Russia’s Andrey Rublev emerged victorious.
Musetti initially needed to win on Saturday in order to overtake Felix Auger-Aliassime and seal the final spot at ther ATP Finals in Turin, but now looks set to compete after Djokovic decided to withdraw.
The Italian was magnanimous in defeat and hailed Djokovic for his immense achievements in the sport.
He said: “Novak, there are not many words to say about you and your career.
“You are proving, still at your age, that you can kick us, like me today. Every time I share the court with you, I take it as a lesson, so thanks for that.”
Musetti will now turn his attention to the prestigious end-of-year showpiece tournament in northern Italy.
He faces Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur in the Jimmy Connors Group, while the Bjorn Borg Group is comprised of Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Auger-Aliassime.
Djokovic already holds the record for the most singles titles at the event with seven – one more than Federer.
The top two players in each group from the round-robin stage qualify for the knockout rounds.
Should a player win the trophy without losing a match, then they will amass 1,500 ATP ranking points.
There is also a £3.87 million prize pot on offer if any player manages to win the tournament undefeated.
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