ROME – Novak Djokovic won his sixth Italian Open title yesterday after a straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) in Rome.
World number one Djokovic saw off Monte Carlo Masters champion Tsitsipas to claim the last major tournament before Roland Garros gets underway later this month.
The 34-year-old won his first tournament of the season and confirmed his return to form after an opening few months of the season dominated by Covid-19 vaccination controversy.
Yesterday’s clash was a rematch of the pair’s final at last year’s French Open final but had little of the drama of that five-set thriller eventually won by the Serb in Paris.
Djokovic had already ensured he will be world number one for a record-extending 370th week and claimed his 1,000th career victory, against Casper Ruud, on Saturday night to reach the final.
And he made surprisingly short work of Greece’s Tsitsipas, who had also reached the semi-finals of last week’s tournament in Madrid and still leads the men's tour for wins this season. – AFP, May 16, 2022
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