Djokovic destroys Dimitrov and raises his 40 Masters 1,000 in Paris

Paris, Nov 5 (EFE).- Serbian Novak Djokovic, world number 1, destroyed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-3, in 1 hour and 38 minutes, on the way to his seventh title in Paris, on 40 Masters 1,000 of his career.

The world number 1 thus consolidates his leadership in the ranking in a tournament in which last year he lost in the final, but which becomes his favorite Masters 1,000, in which he accumulates the most victories.

The 36-year-old Serbian, who returned after almost two months of break, showed that his form is intact, one week before the Masters begins in Turin, which brings together the eight best of the year, the tournament that closes the season, in which he will once again be the favorite to win for the seventh time, the second in a row.

"It's been a complicated week and I'm happy that everything ended well," said the Serbian.

Djokovic was much superior to the Bulgarian, who at 32 years old returned to a 1,000 Masters final six years after the last one and who, en route to the final, defeated two top-10 players, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, third in the ranking. , and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, sixth, but who lowered his level in the final.

Accumulating errors, very imprecise with his forehand blows, Dimitrov barely attacked the Serbian, who dominated the exchanges more easily than in the three previous duels, in which he gave up a set in each one.

At no time did it give the impression that the streak of consecutive wins that Djokovic has been accumulating was in danger, which while waiting for the Turin event now marks 18.

With the Spanish Rafael Nadal healing his wounds, only his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz has been able to defeat him in the last 32 matches, something he achieved in the exciting Wimbledon final, the only final that the world number 1 has lost, which he avoided to win all the Grand Slams.

Djokovic added his sixth title of the year, making him equal with Alcaraz as the most successful tennis player, one more than the Russian Daniil Medvedev, and he gets his second Masters 1,000 of the year, after the one in Cincinatti, with or equaling with the Spanish and the Muscovite.

It is also the 97th title in his record, achieved in his most selective season, in which at 36 years old he has decided to space out his interventions more to be more efficient.

Objective achieved, since the Serbian is achieving almost perfect numbers. Especially on hard court, where he has only lost one of the 33 duels he has faced, against Medvedev in Dubai.

Furthermore, the one from Belgrade gives the impression of having fun, enjoying the superiority with which he is overcoming the duels, even allowing himself to provoke the public, very reactive under the roof of Paris, with which he has multiplied the friction throughout the year. tournament.

The final was no exception, although as the Bulgarian put him in less trouble, he had to do less. Dimitrov did not have the magic of the previous duels, he was far from the level shown on his way to the last duel.

He gave away many points, 16 in the entire match, especially with his forehand, although he defended himself well with his elegant one-handed backhand, but he failed to shake the world number 1, the same one who had defeated him in the 2018 semifinals. in this same tournament, his ceiling so far in Paris. Djokovic has only lost once to Dimitrov, at the 2013 Madrid Masters 1,000.

The Bulgarian mourned the defeat, knowing that he had not lived up to the final, the level he had dreamed of and with which he had threatened during that week that will remain magical in his memory.