Novak Djokovic battled past Holger Rune 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3 in a late-night marathon at the ATP Finals in Turin, ensuring he will finish the year as world No 1 for the eighth time. The victory extends his record of year-end top rankings and keeps him on course for a seventh ATP Finals title.
The match, which lasted three hours and four minutes, saw Djokovic overcome a determined Rune, who has proven a tricky opponent for the Serb in recent meetings. Rune broke first in both the opening sets, but Djokovic responded immediately each time. The 20-year-old Dane forced a decider after a poor tie-break from Djokovic, but the top seed regained his composure in the third set.
Djokovic broke early in the deciding set, only for Rune to break back, sparking frustration that led Djokovic to stamp on and break two rackets. However, he broke again to lead 4-2 and this time held on, sealing the win after three hours of intense baseline exchanges. 'It took everything,' Djokovic said. 'A win is a win. It was a very emotional win.'
Earlier, Italian Jannik Sinner delighted the home crowd with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in his debut at the season-ending event. Sinner, ranked fourth, dominated the contest without facing a break point, moving a step closer to the semi-finals in front of an enthusiastic Turin audience.
