Italian Open 2022: Novak Djokovic did not drop a set as he stormed to his 6th crown in Rome. The Serb defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to return to peak form ahead of Roland Garros.
Djokovic wins Italian Open 2022, finds form ahead of French Open (AP Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Djokovic defeated Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 to win the Italian Open crown
- It was Djokovic’s first title in over 6 months
- Djokovic will head into French Open as the No. 1 seed
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic ended a long wait for his first title of 2022 as he defeated Stefanos Tsistsipas in straight games in the Italian Open final to clinch his sixth title in Rome. Djokovic finds top form just a week ahead of the French Open where he will be favorites to defend the prestigious clay-court crown.
It was also Novak Djokovic’s record-extending 38th Masters 1000 victory, which came a day after the Serb clinched his 1000th win on the tour, becoming the 5th man in the Open Era after Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafa Nadal to do so.
Djokovic decimated Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 (5) in a repeat of last year’s French Open final.
Djokovic. Is. BACK @DjokerNole , @InteBNLdItalia , #IBI22 pic.twitter.com/HSSHQ4gh4l
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 15, 2022
A sixth-successive win for Djokovic over his Greek opponent looked inevitable as he stormed through the first set with a blistering display of hitting, to which Tsitsipas had no answer.
Tsitsipas’s name rung around Campo Centrale in the fourth game of the second set, however, as an unforced error from Djokovic gave the Greek player two break points, the first of which he converted to take a 3-1 lead in the set.
After Tsitsipas held to make it 4-1, Djokovic then upped it a gear, winning five of the next seven games to take it to a tiebreak before sealing his sixth Italian Open title, and first since winning the Paris Masters in November.
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