Novak Djokovic bested Hubert Hurkacz in his third match at the 2023 ATP Finals, but it may not be enough for him to advance from the round-robin stage.
After Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew from the tournament because of an injury, Hubert Hurkacz stepped in and replaced the Greek player, but he couldn't advance from the group anymore, only make Djokovic's life more difficult.
To seal the semifinal spot, the Serbian needed to win in two sets. That's because he previously lost to Jannik Sinner, and that put his fate out of his hands, unless he could deliver a great performance against Hurkacz.
The first set was a very close one, and both players kept their serves comfortably, without facing any break points. That's why it had to be decided in a tie-break, and it was a very bad tie-break from the Polish played, who just couldn't play his best tennis, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion won it 7-1.
The second set was more interesting for fans in Turin, as the Pole had a period when he won 13 consecutive points, breaking his opponent's serve and leading 4-2 in the second set. Yet, Djokovic still got his chance with two break points in the eighth game.
But the Polish player saved them in style, with two aces, and after that, he managed to win the second set 6-4, and by that, make sure that Jannik Sinner would play in the semifinals, as one set lost from Djokovic would seal that.
But the Serbian was still determined to get at least 200 points, and he fought for them it the third set. Djokovic played the best set of the match, breaking Hurkacz's serve twice, and that was enough for him to win.
The Serbian won the match 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1, and secured his second win at the 2023 ATP Finals. Now, he will need Jannik Sinner not to lose to Holger Rune, as that would mean that Djokovic wouldn't make it out of the group stage despite winning two matches.
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