"We have kind of similar game" - Novak Djokovic praises Holger Rune as 'all-round player,' lauds Dane's progress since partnering with Boris Becker
Novak Djokovic showered praise on Holger Rune following their riveting quarterfinal clash at the 2023 Paris Masters on Friday.
In a rematch of last year's Paris Masters final, Djokovic avenged his previous defeat by securing a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory over Rune. The Serb emerged victorious after a two-hour-and-54-minute long battle, advancing to his ninth semifinal at the event.
Following his win, the 24-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged the evenly matched contest and expressed his admiration for Rune's mental resilience during the clash. The 36-year-old also highlighted the similarities in their playing styles and lauded the Dane as an "all-round player."
"Quite similar match to last year's final to be honest. Was really anybody's game every set. You know I played an awful tiebreak in the second set, to be honest probably the worst one this year but again credit to him for staying mentally tough and playing solid from baseline," he said in his post-match interview.
"We have kind of similar game, we both move well, defend well and kind of all-round players," he added.
Djokovic also praised Rune's progress since teaming up with Boris Becker, who previously coached the Serb from 2013 to 2016.
"He's been, I think, playing much better in the last few weeks, ever since he started working with Boris. It was strange to see Boris in the opposing box but again I knew it might happen already this week. You know I wish him, obviously Holger and him, the best in Turin," he said.
Novak Djokovic on dealing with boos from Paris Masters crowd: "You react, you feed off that energy"
Novak Djokovic, who is no stranger to hostile crowds, has encountered boos from the Paris Masters audience during his campaign in the French capital. However, the Serb has not allowed this to disrupt his performance, and he has, in fact, embraced it, goading the crowd during his matches.
Following his win over Holger Rune, the World No. 1 emphasized the importance of maintaining composure and concentrating on the next point instead of letting the crowd distract him. However, he also admitted that he sometimes finds it necessary to respond and feed off the audience's energy.
"Sometimes you know you just have to, I guess stay calm and focus on what needs to be done in the next point. Actually most of the time that's probably the best thing that you can do. But sometimes you know, you react, you feed off that energy," he said.
Djokovic will continue his pursuit of a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title against Andrey Rublev. The Serb enjoys a dominant 4-1 head-to-head record against the Russian.