Erste Bank Open - Escape artist Novak Djokovic draws level with Pete Sampras
Novak Djokovic also showed strong nerves at his second appearance in the Wiener Stadthalle - and thus caught up with Pete Sampras .
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Oct 29, 2020, 10:17 am
By Michael Rothschädl from the Wiener Stadthalle
When Borna Coric put the forehand a few centimeters behind the line, it was done for Novak Djokovic. The Serb smiled in the direction of the box, clenched his fist and plunged into the frenetic cheers of the 1000 spectators in the Wiener Stadthalle. But he also puffed, knowing full well that it had been another match on a knife's edge, that, as in round one, a Houdini act in the first round had decided this game.
Even before the big showdown in the tie-break came in the first set, Borna Coric had his chances. The Croatian found three breakballs and would have had the chance to end the first round on his own serve if the transformation had been successful. What his Serbian opponent brought on the pitch in these very important points should only be a foretaste of how he presented himself a little later in the set ball against himself in the short decision. Flawless.
Djokovic 10: 1 in tiebreaks 2020
"The more tiebreaks I win, the greater the self-confidence with which I go into them," the Serbian should explain after his victory. It almost sounds like a threat to his colleagues in the traveling circus of ATP professionals. The industry leader had to give up just one of its eleven tiebreaks this calendar year. "I have a very optimistic, confident approach when I go into a tiebreaker," said the Serb.
Dominic Thiem had already taken the tiebreaker strength of the world number one as a model at the beginning of the year. Austria's number one analyzed at the time that he simply did not give his opponents any free points; you have to make each point yourself first. Borna Coric wanted to do well in phases - "He served superbly. Very precise, so I was very passive in the first sentence," Djokovic was supposed to appreciate the performance of his counterpart - but in the end the Croatian didn't want to succeed either To end the first sentence.
Sampras record set
And so it was subsequently an almost identical performance on Center Court, which Djokovic already gave against Filip Krajinovic: early break in set two, no problems with his own serve - victory. "I'm happy with my serve and also that I've waited for my chances," said Djokovic. Of course you always want to force your game on your opponent, sometimes - if your nerves flutter or the punches don't work - you have to adapt. A feat that the Serb has mastered like no other.
Even he, according to Djokovic, still feels the nervousness, the tension and the fears in his matches. "But I've learned to deal with it over the years." Over the years, Novak Djokovic has celebrated many a success for the ages - and with the victory over Borna Coric he added another. The Serb will now officially finish the year as the first in the world rankings, doing so for the sixth time in his career and drawing level with the long-term leader Pete Sampras. With his childhood idol, as the 17-time Grand Slam champion had revealed in the run-up to the Erste Bank Open. "A dream would come true if I set this record." It came true.