Novak Stretched, But Battles To 21st Straight Win

Novak Djokovic saw his personal-best 30-set winning streak come to an end on Friday at the Rolex Paris Masters. But the Serbian, who will ascend to the top spot in the ATP Rankings on Monday, bounced back to beat fifth seed Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to claim his 21st consecutive tour-level match victory.

Djokovic is into the Paris semi-finals for the fifth time, and each time the Serbian has advanced to the last four at the final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season, he has gone on to lift the trophy. If the 31-year-old adds a fifth title in Bercy to his resumé this week, Djokovic will tie Nadal with a record 33 Masters 1000 triumphs.

The win against Cilic is Djokovic’s 10th victory against a Top 10 opponent this season, and he has now claimed nine matches in a row against that elite group. Djokovic owns a 30-1 record since the start of Wimbledon.

While Djokovic entered the quarter-finals with a 15-2 advantage in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Cilic, there was little doubt that the Croatian could put up a fight, having defeated Djokovic for the title at the Fever-Tree Championships earlier this year.

But while Cilic grabbed the first break in the deciding set with an immaculate crosscourt forehand passing shot that landed right on the line, Djokovic remained solid. Even after breaking his racquet in frustration after watching that passing shot sail by, the second seed settled down and kept his defensive pressure up. And after getting the break back, it was the Serbian who gained the decisive advantage with a crosscourt forehand passing shot winner of his own, ultimately holding to love to clinch the match when Cilic hit a backhand in the net after two hours and 11 minutes.

The Parisian fans could be in for a blockbuster semi-final, as Djokovic will face third seed Roger Federer or in-form Kei Nishikori. It will either be Djokovic’s 47th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Federer, or his 18th against Nishikori. Federer is pursuing his 100th tour-level crown, while Nishikori is pushing for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Cilic could have guaranteed his place at the season finale at The O2 in London from 11-18 November if he beat Djokovic, but the Croatian will have to watch the results for the rest of the week. If Federer beats Nishikori in the final match of the day, Cilic will qualify for the fourth time.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2PAzDSZ