The number one will face Dimitrov in the final
MADRID, 4 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic came back (5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5) against the Russian Andrey Rublev to reach his ninth final in the Paris-Bercy tournament, the last Masters 1,000 of the season, another victorious battle of the number one that quotes him with the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in search of his seventh title in the tournament.
That ‘Nole’ has more lives than a cat is something that has been known for many years, but at 36 he continues to prove it. The one from Belgrade endured a great match by Rublev for three hours, one of the best of his career, to extend a week of epic overtones, with long matches, comebacks and a lot of suffering.
The champion of 24 majors, who has been suffering from stomach problems and had to be treated in the third set on his back, changed his face to end up celebrating with a lot of testosterone. Rublev endured the gestures, the uncertainty about the state of a Djokovic capable of bringing out the best version of him at any moment.
In fact, the Russian lifted many compromised games. In the first set, Rublev came back from a break down to take the set 7-5. Then, with no margin for error, the Serb gradually launched his attack, but the Russian saved four break balls before reaching sudden death. There, the number one put another gear, always confident with his serve and winning the exchanges.
The one from Belgrade went to the locker room and then was with the physio. About 15 minutes of stoppage that did not change the Russian’s faith. Rublev saved break balls again, but Djokovic still had artillery to undermine his rival. The Russian said goodbye to Paris with a double fault, a defeat that is learned from but hurts.
Meanwhile, ‘Nole’, seeking to distance the number one from the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, will face Dimitrov in the final who eliminated (6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3)) the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Bulgarian will seek his second Masters 1,000 against a Djokovic who has him well measured: 11-1 in direct duels.