Djokovic wins Paris Masters for seventh time

France Defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the final, Novak Djokovic increased his ATP 1000 championship record to 40 titles.

After three consecutive three-set matches and stomach problems, Djokovic had an easier time in the final when he only needed 98 minutes to defeat Dimitrov. He is the first person to reach the milestone of 40 Masters 1000 titles in tennis history.

Djokovic (left) lifted the title at the Paris Masters, next to runner-up Dimitrov, at the Accor Arena Center on November 5. Photo: AP

"It's unbelievable to win the title after a difficult week," Djokovic said after winning. "I came back from the brink of defeat on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Today, Dimitrov was a little out of breath. I think the match was not as close as the score. I'm proud of the win after what I went through this week."

Dimitrov couldn't stop crying after missing out on his second Masters title, as well as his first since the 2017 ATP Finals. After the victory, Nole went to Dimitrov's bench and consoled the Bulgarian. "I've been in this situation many times when I lost in finals," Djokovic said. "Hopefully he continues to play at a high level, after giving his best tennis this week."

Dimitrov has been in fine form over the past month, knocking out Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters, then beating Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the Paris Masters final. But against Nole, Dimitrov was completely outclassed. He lost three service games and did not have a single break-point in the entire match.

In the first set, Dimitrov made 19 unforced errors while Nole won 88% of the first points. The 32-year-old lost the match after losing the final serve of the set, then struggled in the second set. Djokovic won two more service games to win his 50th match at the Paris Masters.

Djokovic's 18th consecutive win gave him his sixth title of the season. Seven Paris Masters titles also added to his record, as did his 40 Masters 1000 titles. The Serbian is well on course to finish the year at number one, with a 1,490-point lead over Alcaraz in the Race to Turin.

Vy Anh

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