Adapt to circumstance and the rest will take care of itself: such has been the approach of Novak Djokovic this week in Turin, and how well it has served him.
Still feeling the aftereffects of a gruelling battle with Daniil Medvedev 24 hours earlier, Djokovic eked all he could from his depleted reserves of energy to prevail 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) against Taylor Fritz, the American world No 9, and reach the title round at the ATP Finals for an eighth time. Djokovic will face Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final after the Norwegian third seed brushed aside Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 in the second semi-final.
Having started the week in majestic form, the Serb has been forced to delve ever deeper into his repertoire to maintain his pursuit of the sixth title he needs to equal Roger Federer’s record.
Doubled up and trembling midway through his duel with Medvedev, even he must have wondered how he would pull up against Fritz. In the event, the 35-year-old emerged heavy of leg but sufficiently sharp of wit to navigate a contest in which he struggled to pull clear after securing an early break in the first set, then struggled to keep up after suffering an early break in the second.
“I like the fact that I was able to win against Medvedev after a very long battle, then come back the next day after not too much time for recovery [and] be able to win another tight match against Fritz in two sets,” said Djokovic, who appeared to suffer a dizzy spell at the end of the first set.
“That’s something that has in a way defined my career over the years. I’ve had similar situations where I was able to bounce back and really make some big wins.
“I did feel heavy with my legs a little bit, a bit more than any of the past days of the week. I knew that coming into the match that I will not be freshest, but that I will have to find a way differently to adjust my game, to the lack of reactivity on the court today.
“I just felt that, tennis-wise, I was not hitting the ball as cleanly as I have throughout the week. That’s also due to the heavier legs, less reactivity time.
“At the same time, I think that these kind of wins [have] double value, because you’re not feeling great… but you still manage to win against a great player.”
As Fritz served to level the match, Djokovic was helped on his way by a spectator who cried out just as the American was lining up a short ball that would have given him a set point. Would it have made a difference? Perhaps not, given that Djokovic measured his shots to perfection in the two extended rallies either side of that moment. Yet Fritz was understandably aggrieved.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Fritz. “I think that’s what makes it even more frustrating. It’s like, you know, I kind of got screwed and there’s nothing that really can be done about it.
“You get used to playing in absolute silence your whole career. It’s normal that the crowd maybe makes a noise when there’s a crazy point going on. You expect it, you’re ready for it.
“But someone just flat-out screaming to purposely try to throw you off, it’s not something you’re ever used to. When it happens, it’s an absolute shock. It’s disgusting then.”
Once the immediate disappointment subsides, however, Fritz will be able to reflect with satisfaction on an unexpectedly rewarding week. Promoted from first alternate after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the season-ending finals with an abdominal injury, the 25-year-old debutant has capped a memorable year with wins over Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassime, victories to will rank alongside his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and first grand slam quarter-final at Wimbledon.
Ruud too has enjoyed an unforgettable season. After reaching finals at Roland Garros and the US Open, where defeat to Alcaraz cost him the chance to claim the No 1 ranking, the 23-year-old capitalised on a dominant start against Rublev to carve out a 6-2, 6-4 win.
“Things were going so well for me, almost too well at some point, because I was winning [so] many games in a row,” said Ruud. “At 6-2, 4-0, we had played maybe around 50 minutes or something. I didn’t imagine I would be in that situation.”
That feeling was no doubt shared by Rublev. It was a wretched night for the Russian, who once again suffered an early implosion, just as he had done in his final group match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but was unable to recover from a set down for a second night in a row. Rublev’s problems began in the fifth game, when he dropped serve from 40-15 up with four consecutive unforced errors.
“I started quite well,” said Rublev, who fought back from 4-0 down in the second set to make a match of it after breaking down in tears at one point.
“When I lost my serve, I started to rush a bit. I was trying to play aggressive, rushing. I started to miss more and more.
“When the match was almost done, when I managed to relax a bit and I was [able to] keep playing aggressive, but I was not rushing, I managed to start to play better. It was too late. He was too good.”
Whether Ruud will be too good for Djokovic remains to be seen. The Norwegian has lost all three of his previous meetings with the former world No 1.
“I know that I will need to come up with something I have not done yet against him, because I haven’t been able to beat him,” said Ruud. “It’s not going to be easy, obviously, but I will give it my best shot.”