![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/Djokovic-Turin-5062637.jpg?r=1699831505940\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic\u00a0edged out another close victory against\u00a0Holger Rune in his opening match at the ATP Finals, coming through 7-6(4) 6-7(1) 6-3. Just like their last three meetings, it was a rollercoaster with Djokovic stomping on his rackets in frustration early in the third set. But he was able to get the win and cemented his place as the year-end No 1 – something he\u00a0said was his main goal this week.<\/p>\n
As well as making his debut at the season-ending championships, Rune was seeking to avenge last week\u2019s loss to Djokovic in Paris-Bercy as he stepped out onto the court at the Pala Alpitour. And he immediately made a statement in his maiden ATP Finals match against the six-time champion.<\/p>\n
In his first-ever point at the tournament, the 20-year-old fired a return winner straight down the court. And Rune pounced in the fifth game of the match, taking his third break point when Djokovic sent the ball flying outside the tramlines. But the world No 1 didn\u2019t let his rival have the advantage for long, breaking straight back.<\/p>\n
With more than an hour already on the clock, the first set headed into a tiebreak where Djokovic immediately responded again when Rune snatched a mini-break lead in the first point. And the 36-year-old raised his game at a crucial moment to take the opener 7-6(4) after 71 minutes.<\/p>\n
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive tennis news<\/strong><\/p>\n Just in <\/strong> Stefanos Tsitsipas brutally dug out as bleak Australian Open prediction made[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n Djokovic continued to lull Rune into a false sense of security in the second set, pouncing as soon as the four-time title winner had any hint of an upper hand. Once again, the six-time champion broke straight back as soon as the 20-year-old took a 2-0 lead, with both men waving their arms to try and get the crowd going.<\/p>\n The match suddenly looked as though it was going to go the distance when Rune had a set point on Djokovic’s serve at 5-4. But the top seed continued to close the door on any opportunities the Dane had, saving it before they went to another tiebreak. Rune raced into a 6-0 lead thanks to some uncharacteristic mistakes from the Djokovic racket and, for the second time in nine days, the pair went to a decisive final set as the world No 10 took it 7-6(1).<\/p>\n It came just days after Djokovic lost a tiebreak to Rune 7-3 in the second set of their Paris Masters quarter-final – a tiebreak he claimed was his worst of the year. But he rebounded by breaking early in the final set as their ATP Finals match looked to follow a similar pattern with Djokovic winning in three sets after dropping the second.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/Djokovic-racket-stomp-5062704.jpg?r=1699831505996\")
<\/p>\n\n