Novak Djokovic earned a record 52nd ATP Masters 1000 final after knocking out Casper Ruud in straight sets at the Italian Open.
The world No 1 had to save two set points in the first set before finding his groove to beat Casper Ruud 7-5 6-3. He has now made more ATP Masters 1000 final appearances than any other player.
“It was a tough two-setter today. It was over two hours for two sets,” says Djokovic, who equalled Rafael Nadal’s tally of Masters 1000 titles by winning the Western & Southern Open last month.
“I definitely had to work hard for most of the points and it was really anybody’s game in the first set.
“It was probably the windiest day since we arrived in Rome and it was quite tough to handle that. But the second set was much better, I got used to it and started swinging through the ball better.”
Watch the highlights of both games below…
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Italian Open 2020: Diego Schwartzman shocks Rafael Nadal with win in Rome
The Serb started slowly and trailed 4-5 in the opening set but broke back, winning the final three games to take the early advantage in the contest.
Djokovic fired 12 aces in the match and with much better accuracy in the second set to close out in style to set up a final showdown with Diego Schwartzman on Monday.
Diego Schwartzman beat Canadian youngster Denis Shapovalov 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7-4) in a dramatic second semi-final. Should he beat Djokovic in the title clash, will break into the top 10 of the rankings.
“I think if I win I’m going to be top 10, so I just need to rest,” Schwartzman says.
“That’s why I was fighting this match because I need those points to be close to the top 10 and to be close to Denis [Shapovalov].
“Maybe [it will happen] tomorrow, maybe the next tournaments, but that was in my mind the whole match. I think that’s why I won because I was fighting.”
The Argentine upset nine-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal on Saturday evening, in what he called his “best match ever”.
But things got even better for the eighth seed at the Italian Open, as he worked incredibly hard over three hours and 15 minutes to earn the biggest win of his career in the longest match of the tournament.
About one thousand socially distanced fans were allowed to watch play for the first time in the event.
