Novak Djokovic described as ‘an absolute specimen’ – ‘I thought he was cooked in the match’
There was once again high praise for Novak Djokovic following his epic win over Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Open final with former world No 1 Andy Roddick waxing lyrical about the 36-year-old’s performance.
Djokovic and Alcaraz produced a final of the highest quality on Sunday as they went toe-to-toe for nearly four hours in the ATP Masters 1000 final on the hard courts in Ohio.
The Serbian saved a match point in the second set tie-breaker while Alcaraz saved four match points in the deciding set before the 23-time Grand Slam winner wrapped up the victory at the fifth time of asking, winning 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4) in three hours and 49 minutes.
Djokovic’s performance drew praise as many felt he looked down and out midway through the match, but he turned things around and saw off the challenge from his 20-year-old rival.
In an interview with the Tennis Channel, Roddick admitted that he thought Djokovic looked fatigued before he found an extra gear or two.
“Novak digging deep, I thought he was cooked in the match, but then all of a sudden you look up and it is three hours and 50 minutes total time and he looks better than he did in the first set,” he said.
The American later added: “Novak is an absolute specimen. At 36 years old to be able to go out and do that, especially recovering [after suffering early on].
“Once the sun went down, it changed something. So it was the sun, it was the heat. Then once the conditions became a little more muted, he took some breaks, he figured out a way to ask permission to go and change his clothes.
“The umpire said ‘okay’. We can talk all night about whether or not that was the right call, but like we can’t be mad at Novak for asking the question. It’s the umpire’s job to enforce the rules.
“He shouldn’t take direct criticism from that and I hope he doesn’t. But finding a way to get through that one way or the other [was brilliant].”
When asked if that was the greatest, best out of three-set match he had ever witnessed, Roddick replied: “I don’t know if it is, but also don’t think you are nuts for saying that at all. I don’t think that’s hyperbolic at all.
“That’s one of the most physical, well-executed battles full of drama with a crowd that was absolutely just there for it.”
He continued: “It was just everything you would have wanted. We hype up a lot of match-ups and we get carried away sometimes. I don’t know that the hype could have been overstated for this one.”
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