‘I slipped, tripped, dropped my racket and lost my serve,’ explains Novak Djokovic after ATP Finals opening win

Novak Djokovic recovered from a wobbly start to defeat debutant Casper Ruud in his opening round-robin match at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
The world number one is bidding for a record-equalling sixth title at the season-ending tournament but has not lifted the trophy since 2015.
He arrived in Italy on the back of a 37th Masters title in Paris and kept his winning run going with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory over Ruud, who is the first Norwegian to qualify for the tournament.
Djokovic Delivers 🥳@DjokerNole produces an effective performance to defeat Ruud 7-6 6-2 in his first match at this year’s #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/eImSVMVD64
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 15, 2021
Djokovic dropped serve in the opening game after a point when he stumbled and dropped his racket before netting, but he settled into the match and broke back for 3-3.
Ruud, who has developed his game this year to be a threat on all surfaces, rather than just his favoured clay, did well to save two set points at 4-5, but Djokovic came out on top in the tie-break.
The second set was a masterclass from Djokovic, who applied intense pressure to his 22-year-old opponent’s serve, breaking in the opening game before getting an insurance policy in game five.
WOW 😯 @DjokerNole #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/nWvegfPQIy
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 15, 2021
“I recovered from that fall on that break point in that first game,” the world No 1 said. “It was very strange. I played a good forehand and came into the net and had a pretty comfortable overhead and I slipped, tripped, dropped my racket and lost my serve. The conditions here are quite tough. If you lose your serve, it is difficult to get it back. But I managed to stay in. I am very pleased with the way I handled the match.”
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