Djokovic took a huge loss before the semifinals

6-3, 6-7 (5) and 7-6 (2), in 3h.11′. A result and a duration that belies the true sporting significance of the match. Because its stars are very familiar with their respective positions in the Red Group of the ATP Finals in Turin 2022. But Novak Djokovicalready classified, and Daniel Medvedevknowing it was their last game of the season, they gave themselves as if their lives depended on them at the Pala Alpitour in the Italian city.

The Russian, 2020 champion and 2021 finalist, went home with three losses. The Serbian has a match this Saturday, in the semifinals, against the American taylor fritz, who will have twenty-four hours of extra rest compared to ‘Nole’, admitting that “in the third set I didn’t feel good”. That did not prevent him from pursuing his eighth victory in twelve games with the Muscovite, who made an extra effort to come back in the third set from the only ‘break’ in the match, suffering after fifteen minutes of play and meaning 5 -4 and serve for Medvedev’s ‘match’, in the third sleeve.

He has not dosed an atom of Djokovic’s energy. His hands shaking at some rest, he walked slowly after long points, as if he would pass out at some point. It held. He preferred to spend his energy but reached the semifinals undefeated, adding 200 more points to his ranking account and his bank account. $383,300. The only participant who counts his appointments by victories, he is the only candidate for the most important jackpot in tennis, a final heel of $4,740,300 if he lifts the trophy.

That would also be his sixth at the ATP Finals, equaling the Swiss record Roger Federer.

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Djokovic, 35 years old and number 8, will work hard on his recovery. He has experience in the matter. And it depends on whether the ATP schedules its semifinal in the 2:00 pm session or the 9:00 pm session. In front of him he will have a rival who is more ‘cannonball’ for serving and not as a given to exchange taylor fritz25 years old and nº 9, who entered the tournament due to the loss of Carlos Alcaraztaking advantage of the opportunity to overcome Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassimeentering the ‘semis’ despite losing to Casper Ruud.

The record-breaking Djokovic had beaten Fritz five times before, going 11-2 in the set. The faces have yet to be seen in 2022, with the American winning the three tournaments in which he reached the penultimate round: Indian Wells, Eastbourne and Tokyo.

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Djokovic will be making his eleventh semifinal, in fifteen appearances, at the ATP Finals, which he has not dominated since 2015. He has won 24 of their last 26 meetings, a streak that began at Wimbledon.

Previously, he settled accounts with Medvedev, who was in the final a few weeks ago in Astana He left after losing the tiebreak of the second set, before facing the third. They gave a certain anger between the two, there was a lot of desire to get a victory that marked the territory but did not change their plans for the next day.