2023-11-04 21:32:49
By dominating Andrey Rublev at the end of the suspense (5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5), the world number one qualified for his sixth consecutive final in eastern Paris.
At the Accor Arena,
Stainless. After a terrible three-hour standoff, the Serb had the last word against the Russian Andrey Rublev. And as in the two previous rounds, pushed to his limits, he won in three sets. This stunning Novak Djokovic got off to the best start with an entry break and a forehand missile. The Russian, however, broke away straight away. He who finished his match against De Minaur at 1 a.m. seemed more legged than the Serbian legend. He obtained three unconverted break points in the seventh game, erased by good services from the “Djoker”. But in the twelfth game, Rublev saw his slight dominance rewarded in the twelfth game on his fourth break point. The record holder for Grand Slam titles “gave” him the set on a completely missed drop shot. On the back foot facing a very leggy Rublev maneuvering the Serbian at the back of the court thanks to his forehand, Djokovic was able to count on his first effective service to erase a new break point in the second set. Far from his best level, the six-time winner of the tournament, thanks to a superb comeback, offered himself three break points in the fifth game of the second set. Three opportunities erased with panache by Rublev. More aggressive, “Nole” however missed another opportunity in the seventh game of the second round. Rublev showing great composure on important points. The standoff continued until the tie-break. And as almost always, the world number one, pushed by the Parisian public, raised his level of play at the best moment to snatch a spectacular decisive game.
At the start of the third act, the Serbian called on the physiotherapist to have his back manipulated. However, her possible physical discomfort did not prevent her from continuing to serve well. For his part, Rublev showed that he still had some reserve. But, under pressure from the Serb, he broke down in the final sprint with a double fault. His racket did not resist his frustration. And with the familiar refrain. In the end it is almost always Djoko who wins. The Serbian will play his ninth final at Bercy on Sunday for a seventh title. His last defeat dates back to the Wimbledon final lost against Carlos Alcaraz in July. Since then, he has had 16 consecutive successes.
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