ATP Finals 2023 Highlights: Novak Djokovic beats Jannik Sinner to lift record seventh title

Welcome to Khel Now’s live blog for the Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic final match in ATP Finals 2023.

Six-time champion at ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic will eye revenge over Jannik Sinner when he faces the latter in the Championship match at ATP Finals 2023 on Sunday (November 19). Djokovic, 36, faced his only loss in the ongoing edition of the ATP Finals against Sinner before bouncing back with two emphatic wins to enter the title match at ATP Finals for the ninth time, only behind Roger Federer’s record of 11 final appearances.

Sinner holds a 100 percent record in Turin and is the only player to have won all four of his matches in the ATP Finals 2023, that includes a 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) win over Djokovic. The 22-year-old playing in the year-end tournament for the first time is the first player since Andre Agassi in 2003 to reach the final of the ATP Finals on home soil.

His opponent, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is eyeing a record-breaking seventh title that would make him the first player to achieve the milestone. Djokovic is currently tied with Federer on six titles each.

Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic Preview

Top seed Novak Djokovic will take on the fourth seeded Jannik Sinner in the final of the ATP Finals. While Djokovic saw off World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, Sinner beat the third seed Daniil Medvedev to reach the Championship match.

Djokovic, who is assured of ending the year as the top ranked men’s singles player, started the year-end tournament with a 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3 win over Holger Rune to assure himself that finish for a record eighth year. However, he soon faced defeat against Sinner going down 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(2) to the local favourite. But he pulled himself back with a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 victory over Hubert Hurkacz that kept the Serbian in the run for a place in the semifinals.

He still needed Sinner to beat Rune to be assured a place in the semis and the Italian delivered. Djokovic then beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 to enter his ninth final.

Sinner, on the other hand, has been on a roll at the ATP Finals 2023. He started with a straight sets win (6-4, 6-4) over Stefanos Tsitsipas and then followed it up with the big victory over Djokovic to halt the 36-year-old’s 19-match winning run on the ATP Tour. Already assured of a place in the semis, Sinner beat Rune in his final group match 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to maintain his perfect run in Turin and also help Djokovic.

In the semi-final, the Italian overcame Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1 to become the first-ever Italian player to reach the ATP Finals in singles or doubles.

Head-to-head records

Matches — 4

Novak Djokovic — 3

Jannik Sinner — 1

Djokovic has a 3-1 lead over the Italian in head-to-head records, but they are level at 1-1 in 2023. Sinner’s only win over the Serbian great came earlier this week in the round robin stage of the ATP Finals. The last time they faced each other before this was in the Wimbledon semifinals where Djokovic triumphed in three sets (6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4).

They also faced at Wimbledon 2022 in the quarter-final stage where Djokovic fought back from two sets down to take the match 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in incredible fashion. The first meeting between these two came at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters in 2021. Djokovic came out triumphs 6-4, 6-2 on clay.

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Prediction

Jannik Sinner is the home favourite and the player with a 100 percent record at the ATP Finals 2023. But a 24-time Grand Slam champion never enters a match as the underdog. He mave have lost to the Italian in the round robin stage but the manner of his victory over Alcaraz in the semis shows Djokovic at his best is nearly unbeatable.

The first set is crucial, and Sinner will not need any reminding of that. The result swung in his favour after he took the first set against Djokovic in the round robin stage but that doesn’t guarantee victory. Djokovic has won his last 16 matches after claiming the first set with his last such defeat coming at the Wimbledon final.

Sinner has a powerful first serve and has shown that at the ATP Finals 2023 where he has won 179 out of 216 points on the first serve, that includes 45 aces. But Djokovic also is terrific with his returns and has the best all-round game on the circuit.

The 22-year-old Italian will eye a repeat of the round robin tie, while Djokovic will attempt to become only the third player in six years to avenge a group defeat in the title match. He has done it before, defeating Roger Federer in 2015 to win the title having previously lost to the Swiss legend in the group stages.

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