Novak Djokovic has become the most decorated player in Masters 1000 history after fighting back to defeat Daniil Medvedev in an enthralling encounter at the Paris Masters.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was forced to produce some of his finest tennis to oust the Russian 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, after more than two hours of pulsating play. Throughout the final a total of 64 winners was produced with 38 of those from Djokovic who sealed the year-end No.1 spot on Saturday. Furthermore, he won 79% of first service points and converted five out of his six break point opportunities.
“It’s a special win with both of my kids watching the entire match (from the stands) for the first time,” Djokovic told TennisTV.
“What a match. It was an incredible fight all the way until the last shot. I knew it takes the best effort to get a win against Daniil who is in tremendous form. He beat me quite comfortably in the final of New York (US Open) so I learned my lesson, analysed that match and tried to do things better on the court today. Especially in the second and third. I’m very pleased with how I played.”
The Paris showdown between the two highest ranked players in the world was full of intrigue. Heading into their latest clash, Medvedev trailed Djokovic in their head-to-head but boasted a unique statistic. Out of 82 players to have played the Serbian multiple times whilst he is ranked No.1, he is the only one to have a winning record (4-2) and won their most recent meeting in the final of the US Open.
Taking on Djokovic, who was eager to get revenge, the opening set was a rollercoaster encounter for the world No.2 with continuous changes in momentum. The Russian got off to a dream start by breaking in the opening game to move to a 2-0 lead. However, a resilient Djokovic battled back to level 2-2. Medvedev regained his stronghold in the match three games later when a masterful dropshot enabled him to break once again as he closed in on taking the first set. Leading 5-3, a loose Djokovic shot landed out to hand Medvedev his first set point. He was able to convert after blasting a serve out wide which his opponent returned out.
Cheered on by what was a boisterous crowd in the French capital, a determined Djokovic fought back in the second frame to revive his chances of claiming yet another Paris trophy. A surge in intensity saw the top seed display his sublime defensive skills which forced Medvedev to leak two consecutive errors that enabled him to break for a 3-1 lead. However, taking the match into a decider was far from straightforward. Serving at a 5-3, Djokovic survived a nail-biting five-deuce game which featured some extraordinary hitting. After fending off a trio of break points and then failing to convert two set points of his own, Djokovic finally prevailed with an ace down the centre of the court.
Six games away from the title, the match wasn’t just a physical test, it was a mental challenge too. Continuing his momentum Djokovic wrong footed his nemesis as he broke for a 3-2 lead. It appears that he had broken Medvedev who started to produce more erratic shots and grew increasingly frustrated. Best illustrated by the code violation he received for ball abuse after getting broken for a second time to go down 5-2.
However, closing out the match was far from easy for Djokovic. The nerves started to take their toll as a lacklustre service game resulted to Medvedev retrieving one of those breaks. However, Djokovic still managed to find a way to cross the finish line in the following game as he hit a clear forehand winner to seal victory.
“This is developing into a great rivalry, especially this season,” Djokovic commented. “We played some important matches and great finals. Australian Open, US Open and here in Bercy. Hopefully we get to meet in some more finals.”
Djokovic has now overtaken Rafael Nadal for the most Masters titles ever won at 37. He has also become the first man in history to have won the Paris trophy for a sixth time. Against Medvedev, he now leads their overall head-to-head 6-4.
“I came here (to Paris) with the goal to clinch the year-end No.1. I managed to do that yesterday (Saturday). Today I didn’t have as much pressure so I swung through the ball a bit more and felt a bit more relaxed on the court. It served its purpose and worked well,” he concluded.
The 34-year-old will return to action in a week’s time at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
