A year ago, Novak Djokovic's Australian campaign turned into a nightmare.
This time, it starts under the best auspices.
For his comeback in 2022, the Serb (world No. 5) won the Adelaide 1 tournament, beating Sebastian Korda (No. 33), after saving a match point at the end of the second set.
Jostled by the American since the beginning of the meeting, he took advantage of the momentum to win then (6-7 [8], 7-6 [3], 6-4) and lift the 92nd trophy of his incredible career .
The king of clutch đź’Ş
The moment @DjokerNole wrapped up another momentous title at #AdelaideTennis.
pic.twitter.com/aHZw6ZLn7G
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 8, 2023
It's the third time in his life that Djokovic has saved a match point and won in the final of a tournament, but this one will remain particularly memorable: with his back to the wall, trailing 5-6 in the second set, he managed to unleash a superb cross smash to give himself some air.
To finally asphyxiate his opponent, in a three-hour long match.
Imperial during this week, where he also took out Denis Shapovalov (No. 18) then Daniil Medvedev (No. 7), he will be the undisputed favorite for the Australian Open (January 16-30).
WritingHistory!
🤩
How many titles will @DjokerNole finish on?
pic.twitter.com/3beNRUSIjz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 8, 2023
In the land of kangaroos, the man with 21 Grand Slam titles reigns supreme anyway: he has not lost there since January 2018, i.e. 34 victories in a row.
Last year, however, he was unable to defend his chances because of the imbroglio concerning his vaccine against Covid-19.
He will therefore inevitably be thirsty for revenge this year, especially since a victory would make him the third most successful man in history, with 93 trophies, ahead of Rafael Nadal (92) and just behind Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109).
