Khachanov in ‘dream’ win over Djokovic
Pushing in-form Djokovic to the limit shows Swiss is capable of more titles
Russia’s Karen Khachanov completed his season in perfect style by stunning Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters final yesterday.
Khachanov, 22, continued his imperious form in the French capital by dismantling an out-of-sorts Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 to win the biggest title of his career.
Khachanov became the third different first-time winner of a Masters tournament this year – joining John Isner and Juan Martin del Potro – and denied Djokovic a fourth title in a row ahead of his return to world No 1 today.
“To finish the season like this is really a dream come true,” said Khachanov, who will rise to a career high of No 12 when the latest rankings are published.
Going into the event, Khachanov had won just three of 19 encounters against players in the top 10 but claimed a fourth such scalp in a week after ending Djokovic’s 22-match winning run.
Djokovic, who will reclaim the top ranking from Rafael Nadal for the first time in two years, made a strong start in his pursuit of a record-equalling 33rd Masters title as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the opening set.
But Khachanov, a winner at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last month, hit back in the very next game as Djokovic dragged a forehand into the tramlines, down break point.
The unseeded Russian then broke Djokovic for a 6-5 lead, momentarily faltering as he tried to serve out for the set before calmly regrouping to surge ahead.
Djokovic, who had been struggling with flu for much of the week, overcame Roger Federer in an energy-sapping thriller that lasted over three hours in Saturday’s semi-finals, and the Serb began to look weary as he dropped serve to a fall behind early in the second set.
Khachanov refused to give his opponent the slightest opening, and sealed a memorable victory after an hour and 37 minutes when a Djokovic forehand went long.
“I want to talk about how well he played all week,” Djokovic said. “He absolutely deserved to win the match today. So all the credit to him. He deserves it.
“I’m satisfied of course and I’m going to be No 1 officially. What more can I ask for? I mean, I won 20plus matches in a row and had a most amazing last five months of the year.”
It is very easy with sport sometimes to get sucked into the simple winning and losing view of things. Yes, athletes and teams are ultimately judged by victories or defeats, but often there is more to take from proceedings then simply the result.
Roger Federer is a case in point. He was beaten by Novak Djokovic on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters.
Yet, the 20-time major winner described himself as being “happy” with his efforts despite the fact it was Djokovic, poised to return to world No 1 for the first time in two years today, who prevailed.
Federer was right to be. It was a hugely encouraging effort from the 37-year-old that serves as a reminder that he will still be a threat for grand slam titles in 2019.
Djokovic is playing superb tennis and is a man clearly reinvigorated now he is back to full fitness and his elbow problems appear to be in the past.
Before yesterday’s final defeat in Paris against Karen Khachanov the Serbian had won his past 22 matches, a run stretching back to last August.
Federer came closest to ending that run as he went down 7-6, 5-7, 7-6. The match ultimately came down to a final set tie-break that Djokovic won 7-3.
Federer gave a performance mixed with quality play and resilience that genuinely troubled his in-form opponent.
What was impressive was how Federer dug in. He was not broken in the match, even though Djokovic created 12 break points.
Now it is easy to write it off as Djokovic spurning a number of opportunities, but Federer deserves credit for gritting it out and getting himself out of trouble to ensure the match went the distance.
There is still the ATP Tour Finals in London to come later this month, but the performance against Djokovic is a welcome reminder that Federer, even at an age when most of his peers have long since retired, is still capable of more titles.
It has been a year of two halves for Federer. It started very well with his 20th grand slam title in Australia. Then he took the world No 1 spot for the first time in five years, but by his high standards, the rest of the year has been underwhelming.
His Wimbledon title defence ended at the quarter-finals stage to Kevin Anderson, and he was beaten in the fourth round of the US Open by John Millman.
He won in Basel in October, but Daniil Medvedev (the world No 20) was the highest ranked player he beat on his way to triumphing there.
If the season had ended then it would have been easy to write a narrative that Federer was on what could be his final decline as his age and the demands of the sport finally caught up with him.
But he was superb in Paris. He was a comfortable victor over both Fabio Fognini and Kei Nishikori and then came within a tie-break of defeating Djokovic. Now that is something much more positive to take in the short winter break before everything begins again in January.
Majors remain the focus for Federer, as they have done for the past two years since his return to the sport after knee surgery.
Expect 2019 to be the same with Federer being very careful with the schedule he allows himself to play.
He is not chasing the No 1 spot. Djokovic is going to have that for a very long time, judging by his current form.
Winning the big ones is the goal. It will be tough. Winning a third successive Australian Open in January will be a tall order, given Djokovic’s form and the fact Melbourne is the scene of six of the Serbian’s 14 major wins.
Wimbledon will be the most likely location of a 21st grand slam. He was out-gunned by an inspired Anderson in July, but he remains a force on grass.
He proved a real thorn in Djokovic’s side in the 2014 and 2015 finals, at a time when the 31 year old was a dominant force.
Federer will be confident that, if at full fitness, he can still claim a ninth Wimbledon crown.
Djokovic may still be establishing himself back at the top, but Paris certainly gave Federer and his fans hope that 2019 can be another year of success for the ever popular veteran.