"Novak Djokovic doesn't often play that well and find the wrong side of it" - Andy Roddick on Serb's ATP Finals loss to Jannik Sinner
Andy Roddick has shared his thoughts on Novak Djokovic's defeat to Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals on Tuesday, November 14.
Sinner secured his first-ever victory over Djokovic in their fourth tour-level encounter, winning 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) in a riveting three-hour and nine-minute long battle.
The Italian maintained his composure after squandering away a 4-2 in the deciding set. He dominated the third-set tiebreak to maintain his undefeated status in the round-robin stage of this year's event. With his win, the 22-year-old not only snapped the Serb's remarkable 19-match winning streak but also staked his claim on the top spot of the Green Group standings.
Following the clash, Andy Roddick suggested that defeating the World No. 1 in Turin could become a defining moment in the Italian's career.
"Listen when the book's being written on Sinner, he's going to look back on this and say, 'Hey that might have been the best match ever played or that was the start of many matches like this where I go on to become a Grand Slam winner,'" he said on the Tennis Channel.
The former World No. 1 lavished praise on Sinner's performance, highlighting that the 22-year-old repeatedly wrested control from the 24-time Grand Slam champion during the thrillling contest. The American also asserted that Djokovic hadn't played poorly and emphasized the rarity of the Serb not securing a win despite delivering a strong performance.
"But it's just an unbelievable effort from Jannik Sinner start to finish. As Jim's mentioned multiple times on the telecast, rightly, Novak played well today. He doesn't often play that well and find the wrong side of it. Sinner was winning points right, taking cuts off returns," he said.
"He took the racquet out of Djokovic's hand a lot tonight, serving well, moving well, switching directions, couldn't be more impressed with the match that we just saw," he added.
ATP Finals 2023: Novak Djokovic set to lock horns with Hubert Hurkacz; Jannik Sinner faces Holger Rune
Novak Djokovic will square off against Hubert Hurkacz in their in his final group stage match at the 2023 ATP Finals. Hurkacz stepped in for Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek withrew from the tournament during his clash against Holger Rune.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion enjoys a flawless 6-0 record against Hurkacz, winning their most recent clash at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in four sets.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner will locks horns with Holger Rune next. The Dane has emerged victorious in both their previous matches. He defeated Sinner 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in their latest encounter in the 2023 Madrid Masters semifinal.