The new era of ATP has finally begun! Djokovic’s next big match with Alcaraz was exceptional in many ways

The match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz was the coveted highlight of the Masters tournament in Cincinnati. Both players went through the tournament in a completely different way and the final itself exceeded the expectations of tennis fans. How did the match turn out and what interesting things did it bring?

The journey of the two top-seeded players through the Cincinnati tournament was as different as night and day. While the Spanish tennis player needed three sets in all his matches to win, Djokovic did not lose a single set.

By winning Saturday’s semi-final against Poland’s Hurkacz, Alcaraz secured his position as world number one. By the way, in this duel, he also had a big chance to advance. He won after sets 2:6, 7:6, 6:3.

For Djokovic, the semi-final against Zverev was the toughest match at this American Masters up to that moment. For the first time in its course he needed a shortened game to advance. He took the match for himself 7:6, 7:5. An even tougher match was yet to come for the tennis legend.

A spectacular final

For a long time, nothing indicated that the final between Alcaraz and Djokovic would be a marathon battle. Djokovic did not fulfil the role of a favourite and at 5:7, 2:4 he was well away from success.

But at 3:4 from his point of view, he managed to take his opponent’s serve and was back in the match. The Serbian was able to lean on his fans, used his serve and volley a lot and the result of the second set had to be decided by a shortened game.

Djokovic started better in that one, but Alcaraz evened the pace and got a match point. Djoker rejected it and soon after forced a deciding set.

That lasted over an hour and a half and brought what everyone had been waiting for. The players held their serves for a long time, but after some pretty big fights. It was Djokovic who got an important break in the seventh game, but that was not the end of the drama.

Alcaraz dispatched his opponent’s match points on his serve and in the following game on Djokovic’s serve. The tiebreak had to be decided and the Serbian tennis player has a huge advantage in those. And he proved it this time too. Djokovic celebrates his 39th Masters title.

In the end..

The final match was the longest in the history of the tournament with a duration of close to four hours and brought perhaps everything a tennis fan can remember. Games full of errors, interspersed with top level games.

The favourite of the match against his rival showed a turnaround and won the title for himself after two winning tiebreaks. Djokovic’s play in the tiebreaks is worth watching. The current world number two has won eighteen shortened games in a row.

Mostly, though, there is a great rivalry on the tour that will spice up many more months or years. The current two players at the top of the rankings may meet in the US Open final. That starts in a week. We have a lot to look forward to.

Source: ATP, ATP Cincinnati, TennisMajors