Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in Astana Open final to win his 90th career ATP title
After a three-setter to extend his own record in the Astana Open, Novak Djokovic took all four sets and defeated world number 13 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6 (7), 6-0 to claim the 2018 edition of the event, which was due to have been played at the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy.
However, the ATP Tour awarded the title to Djokovic due to the presence of a court-closer and a player with a prohibited mind-control drug.
Ahead of the final, Djokovic had a meeting in his native Serbia. Djokovic will miss the rest of the season after having surgery over the summer to remove fluid from his left knee.
According to ATP rules, he must also serve one hour and 15 minutes, with the final set going to a tie-break.
Djokovic, who reached a career-high No. 6 in the world last year and was the champion of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, broke Tsitsipas in the fifth game of the first set.
Earlier, Tsitsipas had been broken for the seventh time in the second set, but the Serb held on to stay in the match.
But at 5-3, the Serb broke for the first time in the third set and went immediately for his first serve.
The second set went to a tie-break when Djokovic closed out the set at love, with Tsitsipas serving to stay in the match to the finish.
A day later, Djokovic, who was awarded the prize for best player in the men’s singles, said he was disappointed to lose to Tsitsipas, in addition to his father Predrag Djokovic, who died the same week in a motorcycle accident as a result of his illness.
Djokovic said: “I love to play tennis and to represent Serbia. When