Carlos Alvaraz and Novak Djokovic put on a quality show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Spaniard finally won the duel against the Serb in three sets of 4-6, 6-4 and 6-4 in 1 hour 20 minutes.
The Tennis Cup tournament has existed since 2019 and is part of a major sports festival, the Riyadh Season, funded by the government. This out-of-competition tournament is not part of the ATP circuit.
In front of a crowd that was sometimes undisciplined, but captivated, the two men played inspired tennis, flirting with the lines, without the pressure of major tournaments on the ATP circuit. They even joked with each other after spectacular blows from both sides.
It’s historic that the No. 1 and No. 2 in the world are facing each other here in Riyadh, I hope you enjoyed the show, in any case we liked it. The young people are pushing me to my limits, but I’m still holding on, said Djokovic.
After giving his opponent the first round with a double fault, Alcaraz found his feet and the match became lively.
The Spaniard broke Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the first two sets, but the 36-year-old veteran responded well and held on thanks to his physical condition.
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Carlos Alcaraz in Saudi Arabia
Photo : DAZN
He notably won the famous seventh game of the decisive round to take a 4-3 lead.
But two costly errors from the Serbian in the ninth game gave the game to Alcaraz, who concluded the next game with a shutout, after 80 minutes of effort.
I want to face Novak as often as possible, because I still have a lot to learn from him, Alcaraz said. He looks like he’s still 20 years old. One of my goals in 2024 will be to beat Novak again and continue to progress.
Carlos is now one of our best players on the tour, Djokovic said, and he comes from a good family, with good values. We will see him often in the next 15 years.
2023-12-27 19:14:07
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