ATP Finals: Djokovic crowns tough year with statement title victory, lands biggest cheque in tennis history

The
man
who
was
deported
from
Australia
after
a
vaccination
and
visa
dispute
in
January,
then
refused
entry
to
the
United
States
later
in
the
campaign,
scorched
to
a
7-5
6-3
victory
against
rising
star
Ruud.

This
was
a
sixth
triumph
for
Djokovic
at
the
ATP
Finals,
matching
Roger
Federer’s
record,
and
at
the
age
of
35
he
is
also
the
oldest
champion
at
the
event.
Federer
was
previously
the
oldest,
being
30
when
he
captured
the
2011
title
in
London.

The
tournament
has
since
moved
to
Turin,
and
Djokovic
reels
in
$4.74million
for
a
victory
that
shows
he
remains
the
player
to
beat,
wherever
and
whenever
he
gets
the
chance
to
play.

Serbian
superstar
Djokovic
had
two
chances
to
break
in
the
second
game
but
Ruud
resisted,
and
the
younger
man
saved
another
break
point
in
the
eighth
game
too,
but
a
further
opportunity
came
at
6-5
after
Ruud
paddled
a
backhand
into
the
net.
The
23-year-old
Norwegian
sent
the
ball
long
in
the
next
rally
to
slip
behind.

It
was
becoming
a
masterclass
from
Djokovic
and
he
was
pummelling
the
ball
from
the
back
of
the
court,
breaking
Ruud’s
serve
for
a
3-1
lead
in
the
second
set.
Djokovic
later
won
a
36-shot
rally
to
set
up
championship
point,
sealing
victory
with
an
ace
down
the
centre.

Ruud,
a
runner-up
this
season
at
the
French
Open
and
US
Open,
had
watched
each
of
Djokovic’s
previous
ATP
Finals
victories
on
television,
and
this
time
he
had
a
prime
spot
to
witness
the
21-time
grand
slam
winner
at
the
top
of
his
game.

Try
as
he
might,
Ruud
could
not
find
a
way
to
fight
back
once
the
stranglehold
was
with
Djokovic,
who
heads
towards
2023
with
his
appetite
for
the
biggest
trophies
in
tennis
far
from
sated.

ACES/DOUBLE
FAULTS

Djokovic
–
9/0

Ruud
–
6/1

WINNERS

Djokovic
–
31

Ruud
–
17

BREAK
POINTS
WON

Djokovic
–
2/5

Ruud
–
0/0