Novak Djokovic warmed up for his Australian Open return by saving a championship point en route to clinching the Adelaide International title with a thrilling victory over the American Sebastian Korda.
The Serbian looked in danger of slipping to a surprise defeat before triumphing 6-7, (8) 7-6 (3), 6-4 in a gruelling three hours and nine minutes to extend his winning streak in Australia to 34 matches, dating back to 2019.
Djokovic was deported from the country before the 2022 Australian Open as a risk to public health because of his refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
But the 35-year-old, who received treatment on his left leg during Saturday’s semi-final win against Daniil Medvedev, will be back in Melbourne this month, seeking a 10th title.
He will arrive there brimming with confidence after lifting the 92nd tour-level trophy of his career at the end of an absorbing encounter.
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USA claim inaugural United Cup after easing past Italy
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The United States lifted the inaugural United Cup after Taylor Fritz (pictured) won the battle of the big hitters against Matteo Berrettini to seal victory over Italy.
Fritz defeated former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6) in a nail-biting duel to earn his country an unassailable 3-0 lead in Sydney.
Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe had already earned a point apiece for the Americans thanks to their respective victories over Martina Trevisan and Lorenzo Musetti.
Madison Keys extended the US team’s advantage to 4-0 with a 6-3 6-2 win over Lucia Bronzetti.
“It’s great. It’s amazing for the team to win this event,” said Fritz. “We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did, for the event. I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match.”
The US produced a dominant performance throughout the tournament, dropping just two individual matches. None of their ties finished closer than 4-1. PA Media
Djokovic saved match point at 5-6 in the second set and, having dug in to keep himself in contention, surged through the tiebreak to force a decider. The 21-time grand slam champion tapped his right index finger to his head as a nod to his resilience after victory was sealed when the 22-year-old Korda sent a final forehand long.
Djokovic is now tied with Rafael Nadal for the fourth-most men’s singles titles in the Open Era, trailing only Jimmy Connors (109), Roger Federer (103) and Ivan Lendl (94).