Sinner praises Djokovic's top performance

Novak Djokovic showed the difference after 5 days when he defeated Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in the ATP Finals final to "avenge" his group stage loss. Djokovic was almost eliminated after that loss and it was Sinner who helped Djokovic advance thanks to a victory over Holger Rune in the final round.

After losing the final, Sinner praised Djokovic's performance. The Italian pointed to Djokovic's accurate serve and composure under pressure, as well as areas where he needs to improve.

"Djokovic deserved to win today," said Sinner. "He played better in the important moments, that's the end of the match."

Sinner received the ATP Finals runner-up title (Photo: Getty).

Although Sinner has been on a tear in the last two months, arguably playing at his best level ever, the 22-year-old still admits that he is not yet at the same level as Djokovic.

"I think today I wasn't as sharp as people say I was - sharp at certain times. I also felt like I was a little bit off physically," Sinner admitted. "Even if you're a little bit behind against the best player in the world, he makes a big difference."

"I tried to stay in the match, tried to serve well but I made a few mistakes. There were also some unforced errors like I missed a few easy forehands. But there was a lot of tension in the match."

It's not that Sinner's serve was bad, but Djokovic's response was so good that it put the Italian under a lot of pressure. Djokovic won 76 points in the final, Sinner only had 46 points, even though both of them served 9 games.

Sinner faced eight break-points and saved five, while Djokovic faced just two, both in the same game and saved them all.

Sinner has not yet created a level equal to Djokovic in the final (Photo: Getty).

The 2023 ATP Finals runner-up also praised Djokovic's mental strength. Sinner emphasized that Djokovic's level of skill is an inspiration for him to develop his career.

"Djokovic is an inspiration to me because he has worked for many years, since he was young, to achieve what he has today. That is also one of my goals."

"Mentally, you have to understand what's going on very quickly. That's what Djokovic is doing at the moment better than anyone else. This year, Djokovic has won three of the four Grand Slams, won the ATP Finals and also won the Masters."

"I thought he played really well today, especially in the backcourt. In the first set and the first half of the second set, he served really well. It's hard to play against him."

"Djokovic played very well in important moments. He knows how to handle situations, especially in semi-finals and finals. This is good for him," said Sinner.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/sinner-ca-ngoi-man-trinh-dien-dinh-cao-cua-djokovic-20231120063519724.htm