ATP Finals 2023: Novak Djokovic Falls In Jannik Sinner's Hands

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic lost in the second match of the ATP Finals 2023 Green Group (doc. Instagram).

JAKARTA The world number one, Novak Djokovic, suffered when he met the Italian tennis player, Jannik Sinner, in the second match of the 2023 ATP Finals Green Group stage.

Djokovic was forced to surrender with a final score of 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7) in three hours and nine minutes in Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, on Wednesday, November 15.

The 36-year-old, who suffered his first defeat since the Wimbledon final last July, admitted he deserved to lose this match.

"I think the main difference is at important points. He is trying hard and bolder. He deserves to win because at important moments I am not aggressive enough," Djokovic was quoted as saying on the ATP website.

In this match Djokovic had time to rise to equalize after losing in the first set. He then struggled from 2-4 behind in the third set before losing in the decisive tie break.

"I think I am very brave and intelligent in important moments. We both played very well. This is a high-tension game," said Sinner.

This is Sinner's first win on four occasions against the owner of the 24 Grand Slam titles.

Sinner's three previous three matches against Djokovic came in the second half of the Monte Carlo Masters (2021) as well as the quarter-finals and semi-finals of Wimbledon 2022 and 2023.

This victory saw Sinner, who will face Holger Rune in the third match of the Greens Group, end Djokovic's unbeaten record in the latest 19 matches.

However, Djokovic can still qualify for the semifinals if he beats ninth seed from Poland, Hubert Hurkacz, in the group's final match later.

Hurkacz is a replacement for Stefanos Tsitsipas who resigned from the competition due to injury against Rune.