Novak Djokovic wins the Australian Open for the 10th time in his career and he reaches 22 Grand Slams, matching Rafael Nadal’s record. He didn’t end there. In the replay of the Roland Garros final dated twenty-twenty-one with Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Serbian champion perfectly exploits all the shortcomings of the Greek talent and simplistically manages the most important moments in a better way.
Not a new one. Djokovic still closes on 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(4) and despite Wimbledon’s 2000 points outside the Best 18 he returns to occupy the first position in the ranking, and even surpasses Nadal in the list of titles. Now 93.
In the first set, Nole is still called to defend the advantage without making any particular changes to the script. He manages the baseline situation practically perfectly and highlights all the limitations of the Greek, who lacks courage among other things.
Tsitsipas tries to make improvements to the tactical plan. At least to grant fewer points of reference and to exploit the backline along the line more carefully. He even concedes a game to zero with the serve available in the initial part of the second and tries to enter the rally a little more in the immediately following game, the fourth.
Tsitsipas takes up 15-30 thanks to two unforced backhand errors by the Serbian phenomenon, but remains too passive in the most important fifteen of the match. Tsitsipas somehow remains clinging to the game: needless to say he gets out of trouble both at 30-30 and at 40-40 in the seventh game and keeps the lead.
Tsitsipas presumably lacks clarity in the most delicate moment of the match. On 4-3 15-30. He is not lucky on Djokovic’s backhand kissing the tape in the first case, but he is guilty of two rather gross errors from 30-30. Despite the circumstances, the Greek takes advantage of the small empty pass of the nine-time champion of the tournament in a decidedly more vigorous way and at 4-4 with two aces in a row he gives himself a chance.
Djokovic for the first time in the match finds himself dealing with some difficulty. He also thanks to a pinch of nervousness that he naturally does not hide. Tsitsipas takes advantage of the situation on 5-4 30-30 and remains extremely passive on the first set point.
Djokovic, even without resorting to overtime, regroups the score at 5-5 and reaches the tie break. In the decisive game, the forehand completely abandons Tsitsipas, who immediately recovers the mini-break from a disadvantage and soils the notebook with three forehand errors in a row.
Called upon to guard a mega-lead of 4-1, Djokovic however completely loses support with his backhand out of service and puts Tsitsipas back on track with a double fault. The Greek restores parity to 4-4 but makes a very serious mistake, again with the forehand, in the ninth point of the tie break.
Also in the setup phase. Once again called to close the accounts with the serve available, Djokovic is not distracted. After a short break in the pits to change, Djokovic leaves the service on the road. A little bad. The Serbian immediately recovers the disadvantage and in a set almost completely regularized by the serve he breaks the balance once again in the decisive game.
After a winning first, he takes the 2-0 with a splendid forehand return and then takes advantage of a gross error coming out of the Greek’s serve. Djokovic doesn’t immediately take advantage of a 5-0 lead, but gets out of trouble with a splendid backhand solution at 5-3 and ends the matter at the first useful match point.
Below the match-point:
ð ð ð ð ð CHAMPION ð ð ð ð ð@DjokerNole has mastered Melbourne for a TENTH time!
@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/ZThnTrIXdt — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2023
