Novak Djokovic will be facing Hubert Hurkacz in his last-round match at the 2023 ATP Finals. Djokovic last faced Hurkacz in Round 16 of the Wimbledon Championships this year. He had faced tough competition from a 26-year-old Polish player, earning the defending champion’s admiration.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic praised Hurkacz for his outstanding performance, acknowledging the challenge he posed. However, Djokovic’s experience played a crucial role in overcoming tight situations, especially in the first two sets, both reaching tie-breakers, which he won.
Despite Djokovic’s struggles in the third set, he managed to regain control in the fourth set. Djokovic eventually secured victory in the four-set encounter that lasted just over three hours with a scoreline of 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4. After the match, Djokovic was in full praise of Hurkacz’s game, especially his serve. He stated, “He put up a great performance.”
“He’s got one of the best serves in the world”
Classy words from @DjokerNole on his last 16 opponent @HubertHurkacz after defeating him#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/wbm1ZUeKdJ
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2023
Djokovic expressed this in the court-side interview, emphasizing the difficulty he faced in returning Hurkacz’s serve and saying that he possessed one of the world’s best serves. Djokovic’s vulnerability during return games was evident, and he admitted, “Honestly, I don’t recall the last time I felt this miserable on returning games, to be honest, because of his incredibly accurate and powerful serve.”
Djokovic also said that his serve was difficult to read. Despite the Serbian’s struggles, he ultimately secured the victory, advancing in pursuit of his eighth Wimbledon title. Djokovic’s acknowledgment and the scoreline of their match highlighted how tough his opponent was on faster surfaces, such as grass, especially with his “accurate and powerful” serve.
Novak Djokovic’s high-stakes showdown with Hubert Hurkacz
In the upcoming 2023 ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic faces a crucial match against Hubert Hurkacz in his final round-robin game. It’s almost a must-win for Djokovic, who is determined to secure a win, aware of the high stakes involved in securing the semi-final berth. Hurkacz, replacing Stefanos Tsitsipas as the first alternate, plays his only fixture against Djokovic, although he won’t advance to the next round.
Despite Djokovic’s surprising defeat against Jannik Sinner in the previous match, he holds a dominant 6-0 record against Hurkacz. While Djokovic’s title defense hangs in the balance, his resilience will be put to the test by Hurkacz, who would look forward to a good showing in his first appearance at the elite tournament with a ‘nothing to lose’ approach.
If Novak Djokovic beats Hubert Hurkacz in 2 sets, Djokovic is mathematically guaranteed to make the semifinal irrespective of what happens in the other match.
We live to fight another day and the quest for another ATP Finals title is still on.
Let’s get it. 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/2jFNreeiB6
— Danny 🐊 (@DjokovicFan_) November 15, 2023
Djokovic has had past dominance over the Polish player, including victories in straight sets in Dubai and a closely contested four-set battle at Wimbledon this year. However, Hurkacz’s recent Masters 1000 title win in Shanghai will give him much-needed confidence, and he looks relatively fresher than Djokovic, whose recent matches have all gone the full distance.
The clash promises to be compelling, with Djokovic’s experience and Hurkacz’s recent success creating some twists and turns. On the faster courts in Turin, ultimately it will boil down to one of the best returners and the servers in the game. Our prediction is weighted towards Djokovic securing victory in three sets, some of them going to tiebreakers.