Ageless Djokovic defeats Musetti in the marathon final in Athens to claim his 101st title
The 38-year-old Novak Djokovic overcame Lorenzo Musetti 4-6 6-3 7-5 to win the Hellenic Championship on Saturday, earning his 101st ATP Tour title and becoming the oldest champion on the circuit.
Musetti fought to win the match and earn a spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, but Djokovic lost a set to the Italian for the first time on a hardcourt in a grueling match that lasted just under three hours between the top seeds.
But when Djokovic stretched at the net to execute a cross-court drop shot while performing the splits at full stretch, the crowd erupted in applause, and he recovered to win the second set without displaying any symptoms of aging.
When a fatigued Djokovic was broken when serving for the title at 5-4 in the decider, the drama reached a fever pitch.
But after rallying one more to defeat Musetti, he used his remaining energy to finish the match and defeat Roger Federer, earning a record 72nd hardcourt title.
At first, Djokovic was too tired to rejoice, then he yelled with joy and tore his own t-shirt after embracing the 23-year-old Musetti.
“A GRUELING MATCH”
“Amazing fight. I don’t know, it’s just a physically taxing competition that lasts for three hours. As he caught his breath, Djokovic remarked, “Lorenzo played really well.”
“Anybody may have won the match or the game. I’m really pleased of myself for finishing this one, and I’d like to congratulate him on an incredible performance.”
Jimmy Connors tops the ATP Tour all-time list with 109 victories, while Djokovic is now two titles behind Federer.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, a Canadian, qualified for the tournament in Turin as a result of Musetti losing out on the final ATP Finals spot.
The modest Italian remarked, “Every time I share the court with you, Novak, I take it as a lesson.”
Djokovic’s focus now shifts to the ATP Finals, where he will play his opening encounter on Monday. Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and Carlos Alcaraz are all in the same group as the Serbian.
