Novak Djokovic rules over world tennis

Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open final (6/3 7/6 7/6) on Sunday, the 29^th in Melbourne.  

The Serbian player remains undefeated on Rod Laver Arena since 2018. Winning the 10^th Australian Open, and most of all, his 22^nd Grand Slam title, is historical. He matches Rafael Nadal’s record; and gets the first spot of the rankings back. Stefanos Tsitsipas fought, without being able to compete.

A one-way first set

The Greek player struggled to begin one of the most important match of his career. While Novak Djokovic won his first serve game without any difficulty, Stefanos Tsitsipas had to save two early break points : 1/1. Djokovic imprinted his unbearable rhythm. He finished a love game made of aces and unreturned serves. The Greek was, once again, under pressure. Two meters behind his baseline, he could just defend against Novak Djokovic who hit his balls inside the court. He offered the break after a double fault: 3/1. Stefanos Tsitsipas never got the chance to get his break back. Even though he won his remaining serve games easily, he made too many unforced errors to worry Novak Djokovic. The latter won the first set 6/3.

A wasted second set

Stefanos Tsitsipas made less faults than in the first set. He started off with a convincing game – finished by a backhand down the line. Novak Djokovic answered with a love game: 1/1. The 24-year-old player took time away from his opponent thanks to his forehand slaps: 2/1. The Serbian played a flawless tennis. Each of his intentions were right: 3/3. Lacking first balls from the seventh game, he gave Stefanos Tsitsipas hope. At 30-30, both players demonstrated an amazing point, lost by the Greek. It would have given him a break point. They easily reached the score of 5/4, Novak Djokovic to serve. A few unusual errors gave a set point to Stefanos Tsitsipas. The latter, with a wait-and-see attitude, let this occasion pass by. Then, they played a chaotic tiebreak. They each lost their first point of serve. Then, the Greek, betrayed by his forehand, lagged behind: 1-4. While this tiebreak seemed already lost, Novak Djokovic gave a second chance to his opponent. He made three gross faults in a row: 4-4. Stefanos Tsitsipas ruined this present with a forehand error, followed by a backhand hit with the edge of the racket. Novak Djokovic led two sets to love. The obstacle seemed unsurmountable for the Greek.

A third set without any surprise

The beginning of the last set was chaotic. Novak Djokovic started off with a double fault. As he lacked focus, he gave the break away to his opponent. The latter didn’t confirm his advantage : 1/1. The game patterns of the first set went on again. Novak Djokovic dictated the rallies while Stefanos Tsitsipas defended far from his baseline : 2/2. The Greek tried to reinvent himself. He rushed to the net to surprise his opponent ; his haste played tricks on him. The Serbian, true to himself, waited to hit the perfect shot. The two players won their serve games: 4/4. Carried by very good first balls, they reached a new tiebreak. The latter started in the most dramatic way for Stefanos Tsitsipas. He was led 5-0 by Novak Djokovic after a string of unforced errors. Then, he accepted to play long rallies from the back of the court – which he won: 5-3. Thanks to a new winner, Novak Djokovic got three match points. The first two, on his opponent serve, were out of his reach. He won the Australian Open thanks to a forehand that landed right on the line.

A battle lost from the beginning

During the final, the victory seemed out of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ reach. The first set slipped through his fingers because he took too much time to get in the match. This early break was fatal. The Greek was the best player of the second set ; but it wasn’t enough against the ‘Djoker’. Thanks to his balls taken early, his forehand winners and his strings of backhands down the line, he had occasions – which his didn’t convert. Waiting for Novak Djokovic to make mistakes on the most important points wasn’t a successful strategy. During this night session, he lacked audacity to shake up the now number one in the world. The latter played a flawless tennis. While standing on his baseline, he imprinted his rhythm and his game patterns. The Serbian remained uncatchable: unreal court coverage, amazing returns, different first serves and incisive strikes.

2023 Australian Open : Djokovic wins a 10th title

Novak Djokovic, the undeniable number one in the world, seems unbeatable. During this fortnight, his only obstacle was his leg injury. He flew over all his matches with a disconcerting ease. At 35 years old, no young player can compete. The victory was destined to him from the beginning. Now co-holder of the record for Grand Slam titles, becoming the greatest player of all time seems to be his inexorable destiny.

Marnie Abbou