You again. Will be Novak Djokovic the opponent of Jannik Sinner in the final of Atp Finals, the first for the South Tyrolean, the ninth for the Serbian. The number one in the world beat, or rather no, he overpowered the number two, Carlos Alcaraz in two sets, which ended 6-3, 6-2 after an hour and 38 minutes in which the Spaniard never managed to find a real antidote, to understand how a flow of tennis so perfect. It will therefore be a rematch of the match four days ago, when the home idol, 22 years old, surpassed his 36 year old rival. Which aims to detach Roger Federer as record holder of victories in the masters tournament (six) and knows that the finals are always another story.
Sinner, the strategy of the switch and the shadow of Borg by Gabriele Romagnoli 18 November 2023
Djokovic-Alcaraz, the partita
The contrast of intentions was evident from the first moment. Alcaraz entered the field tarantulato, very quick in his movements and shots. He wanted the winners, the goal, he wanted to make Djokovic seem slower, and he succeeded. Above all, he wanted control of the match, to decide how the game should evolve, but he didn’t succeed in that.
Djokovic was playing for the first time after experiencing a sensation unknown to him: not having control over what happened to him. There was no predetermined destiny to bend to his will, no superhuman comebacks with which to defy providence. Simply, if an Italian boy had won against a Danish boy he would have moved on; otherwise, he would have gone home.
He couldn’t accept that, once again, a Spanish boy would decide how to conduct the match. He let it do and undo, walking almost in a pose between one point and another, showing off calm. He accepted that about ten winners would run away, because on the tough indoor surface in Turin, the surface on which they met for the first time, it couldn’t be otherwise. Then, he put the control into practice: with the break in the eighth game, the first set was effectively over, it would really go away at the stroke of the fortieth minute.
In the second set, Alcaraz realized his plan was sinking. With the victory against the Serbian in the Wimbledon final, the Spaniard seemed to have put a crack in his dominance. In Turin, however, we saw Carlitos crumble, who did not find concrete solutions to break through the Djokovic wall and gradually became disunited.
Sinner, another magic: Medvedev knocked out again, is in the final at the Finals in Turin by Paolo Rossi 18 November 2023
“It would be great news for tennis if Carlos won, as we would have a new generation in the final,” Sinner said after his victory. Correction: it would have been. Djokovic’s search for a break was much shorter in the second set and lasted only three games. Carlos Alcaraz fought back, played a sumptuous sixth game, the best of his match, earned two break points (like in the first set) but there was no success.
Djokovic found the most spectacular ways to destroy all his hopes and in the next game he broke his serve for the last time. Today yes, he was in control. Of himself, of others, of everything. He hasn’t seen himself so omnipotent in a while. And if it isn’t great news for tennis, at a guess he doesn’t care.
2023-11-18 21:42:21
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