Djokovic sends warning with first title of year
ROME: Just in time, Novak Djokovic yesterday raised his first trophy of the year at the Italian Open — a week before the French Open starts.
After missing a large portion of the season because he was not vaccinated against Covid, the topranked Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 60, 76 (75) for his sixth Rome title.
‘‘I’ve been building my form the last few weeks,’’ Djokovic said.
‘‘It couldn’t be better timing coming into Roland Garros. Perfect scenario for me.’’
Djokovic did not drop a set all week, having won his 1000th career match when he defeated Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
Djokovic, who was deported because of his unvaccinated status before the Australian Open, had not won a tournament since the Paris Masters in November.
‘‘This year it was a particular situation. With everything that happened in Australia, it took some time,’’ Djokovic said.
‘‘I found my best shape here. I’m going to Paris with a lot of confidence.’’
‘‘This court has always been very, very special,’’ he said, after his 12th final at the Foro Italico.
‘‘It’s given me joy when I really needed positive sensations.
‘‘Whenever my form was a bit down I’ve found energy in this city.’’
Djokovic needed only half an hour to win the opening set.
After falling behind early in the second set, Djokovic stepped up his game when Tsitsipas served for the set at 53.
First, he ripped a forehand crosscourt return winner that landed on the line, then on the next point he pushed Tsitsipas from corner to corner before the fifthranked Greek player resorted to a drop shot attempt that landed in the net.
When a backhand from Tsitsipas sailed wide on the first match point, Djokovic simply raised his arms and smiled.
During the trophy ceremony, he then made a special dedication: ‘‘Today at 4 when we started this match, my son Stefan, who is 7 years old, was playing his first tennis match. I hope he won. This is for him!’’
Djokovic produced 24 winners to Tsitsipas’ eight and had only 14 unforced errors to Tsitsipas’ 20.
Meanwhile, world No 1 Iga Swiatek retained her Italian Open title after overwhelming Ons Jabeur 62, 62 yesterday, clinching her fifth consecutive WTA crown and winning her 28th match in a row.
Having swept the titles in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, Swiatek has now won every WTA 1000 tournament she has contested this season and will be the favourite to add to her 2020 French Open success.
Swiatek outmanoeuvred Jabeur to snap the Tunisian’s 11match winning streak, which began in her title run in Madrid, to level their headtohead record at 22 after having lost both 2021 meetings at Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
‘‘Today I’m going to celebrate with a lot of tiramisu, no regrets,’’ Poland’s Swiatek, who collapsed on the red clay and broke down in tears after securing the title, said. — AP/Reuters