Djokovic becomes a millennial and reaches the final in Rome

After an overwhelming start, before which Casper Ruud could do nothing, a Roman girl, smiling, waved a banner in the stands of the Foro Italico: “

”.

She couldn't have been more certain.

Novak Djokovic (Belgrade, 34 years old) walked with lead feet on the clay of Rome towards another Masters 1,000 final, the 55th of his career, the twelfth on Italian soil.

The world number one beat the 23-year-old Norwegian in the semifinals and achieved his 1,000th victory as a professional, a milestone that only four players had reached so far: Jimmy Connors (1,274), Roger Federer (1,251), Ivan Lendl ( 1,068) and Rafael Nadal (1,051).

Without the Spaniard in the tournament, suffering from severe foot pain after losing to Shapovalov in the quarterfinals, Djokovic manages the efforts like no one else.

His face is deceiving.

He looks tired, but he's bluffing.

The Serb exaggerates the gasps between points, but he stretches, grinds and skids on the ground when the ball is in play.

Ruud, a good boy who doesn't seem to know how to get angry, had played Djokovic twice.

He lost both.

And there are already three.

Nothing that can be blamed on him, in any case, because he did not play badly at any time under the closed night of the Italian capital (the game started almost an hour late).

In fact, the Norwegian managed to balance the scales for much of the second set.

Insufficient, despite everything, against Djokovic, who closed the match with a right hand that Ruud, far away, no longer wanted to look at.

Just making my way

Making a way through the crowd

Oh, 'cause you know I'd win A THOUSAND MATCHES 🎧@DjokerNole #IBI22 pic.twitter.com/pdsw0cJpis

– Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 14, 2022

The Serbian will face Stefanos Tsitsipas this Sunday (4:00 p.m., Movistar Deportes), who beat Alexander Zverev (4-6, 6-3, 6-3) a few hours earlier, consummating the revenge of what happened in Madrid, when the German was who advanced to the final to end up falling to Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic has faced the Greek eight times: six wins and two losses.

Of course, on clay, all his duels against Tsitsipas are counted as victories.

A symptom of what the final could be, in which the number one in the world could lift his 87th title before flying to Paris.

There, at Roland Garros, the Serbian will arrive as number one in the world no matter what happens against Tsitsipas.

Djokovic has already accumulated 370 weeks as the leader of the ATP ranking, more than any other tennis player in history.

Roger Federer, the next on the list, was for 310 weeks;

Nadal, sixth, during 209.

In Paris, Djokovic will not only arrive as one of the main favorites, but very close to his best form.

After reaching the final in his city, Belgrade, the Balkan fell in the semifinals of the Madrid Open a week ago and is already a finalist in Rome, where he will try to lift his sixth trophy.

Only Nadal, with ten, accumulates more victories in the Foro Italico.

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