Novak Djokovic off to winning start at World Tour Finals

Novak Djokovic got his ATP Tour Finals campaign off to the perfect start with victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Djokovic, who is looking for a record equalling sixth title at the end of year event, defeated his Greek opponent 6-4 7-6 (4) in one hour and 37 minutes to move to 1-0 in the Red Group.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion broke the Tsitsipas serve in the opening game on his way to sealing the first set. The second was a closer run affair decided by a tiebreak, with Djokovic winning out.

Djokovic now leads Tsitispas 10-2 in their head-to-head, having beaten the third seed on his way to winning the title in Astana last month and making the final at the Paris Masters only last week.

This defeat also ends Tsitsipas’ quest to end the season as world number one. The Greek, who won the event in 2019, had to win the title without losing a match.

Carlos Alcaraz will end the year at the top of the rankings if Rafael Nadal, who started his campaign with a loss, is unable to win the event.

Novak Djokovic will also play Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in the round robin stage.

Rublev beat Medvedev earlier on in the day 6-7 (7) 6-3 7-6 (7) in a pulsating encounter.

Rublev had squandered six set points in the first set before roaring back to win, hitting 25 winners across the next two sets to overcome his compatriot and join Djokovic at the top of the Red Group.

Medvedev, a former champion in 2020 and finalist only last year, struggled to cope with Rublev’s offensive shot making in the fast indoor conditions.

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