Teenager Holger Rune won over Novak Djokovic to bag his Maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in the Paris Masters 2022 finale on Sunday. He entered into the Top 10 in the Men’s Singles rankings with this victory.
He was dropped in the first set but then he recovered from 0/40 of the opening set to 1-3 deficit in the third and saved six break points in the final game as he beat Djokovic and claimed the biggest title.
“It means everything to me, a perfect way to finish the week. It’s a privilege to share the court with Novak.”- he said
Rune is now in the 10th position in the ATP Live Race and will be considered as an alternate option at the ATP Finals. It will be held from November 13- November 20. He won’t be participating in next week’s Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
This was Rune’s fourth ATP Final Tour in a row and he won 19 matches out of 25. He’s over the moon right now. “I’m feeling lovely to be honest, it’s the best feeling,” said Rune. “If you told me four weeks ago, I would be Top 10… I would be like ‘What, sorry?’. Now I’m here and I’m super proud.”– he said
Match Highlights
The 19-year-old Rune didn’t have a solid start to his first Masters 1000 final. Djokovic was already leading by 2-1. He was in command as the game opened in a 0/40 lead in the opening game of the second set. The destiny of the match was changed in a few series. The teenager was effective in his game and led the deciding force.
He broke 6-5 in the deciding set but Djokovic gave a tough fight as well. On his second championship point, the Dane kept his cool and ultimately secured a surprise victory in a boisterous setting. He’s now the city’s youngest champion since Boris Becker in 1986.
Before the game, Djokovic said “He reminds me of myself, solid backhand, very good defense and just competitive… every point leaving his heart and his legs out there on the court. It’s nice to see. I think he’s very good for our sport in general.”
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