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Novak Djokovic walked away to a record-breaking 36th ATP Masters 1000 trophy victory Sunday with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Casper Ruud in the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
The world No. 1 saved two set points in the first set and fired 12 aces to improve to 10-1 in the semifinals in Rome. Djokovic will attempt to break a tie with fellow 35-time Masters 1000 champion Rafael Nadal when he faces Diego Schwartzman or Denis Shapovalov in the championship game on Monday.
“It’s super important [to win the title]. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here, ”Djokovic said on the court after his victory. “I don’t take anything for granted, even after 15 years on the Tour, I still enjoy it.
“I’m still hungry for the titles and getting in position to fight for the title is exactly where I want to be.”
More ATP Masters 1000 titles
Djokovic equaled Nadal’s Masters 1000 title record by completing his second Career Golden Masters at the Western & Southern Open last month. Djokovic is a four-time champion in Rome.
The Serb is now 30-1 in 2020. In 2011 alone, when he won his first 41 games of the year, Djokovic reached 30 wins faster.
Djokovic’s best season begins (after 31 games)
| Win / loss record | Year |
| 31-0 | 2011 |
| 30-1 | 2020 |
| 29-2 | 2015, 2016 |
| 28-3 | 2013, 2014 |
| 27-4 | 2012 |
The key moment of the match came when Ruud held two set points as he served for the first set at 5-4, 40/15. Djokovic threw a cross backhand to save the first set point and reached the deuce after making a backhand drop. The Serbian never looked back to claim victory in his first ATP Head2Head competition against the Norwegian.
Djokovic will attempt to triumph at the Foro Italico for the first time since 2015 on Monday. The 33-year-old has finished runner-up in the event in three of the past four years, losing to Andy Murray (2016), Alexander Zverev (2017) and Nadal (2019) in finals.
The five-time year-end No. 1 owns a combined 9-0 ATP Head2Head record against potential final opponents Schwartzman and Shapovalov. Djokovic is undefeated in five games against Shapovalov and owns a 4-0 record against Schwartzman. The Serbian has beaten each player once in this event.
“Both guys are in tremendous shape,” Djokovic said. “Diego played the game of his life last night and he’s also more comfortable on clay. Denis has improved a lot on clay in recent years and has a powerful game … Whatever happens, I’ll be ready and hopefully I can get the trophy.
Ruud was attempting to reach his third final in four clay-court events this year. The world No. 34 has 12 track-leading surface victories this season (12-3). Ruud was one of February’s ‘Golden Swing’ fit players, capturing his first ATP Tour crown at the Argentine Open in Buenos Aires and finishing as runner-up in Santiago.
“I played a very good first set, in my opinion. I was close to winning it with two set points, ”Ruud said. “But once again it shows why he is a good player and a good champion. He is always sticking to the important points.
“I had some other break points in other games where he served great and [he] he had a pair of aces on big points. “
The 21-year-old made a quick start at Centrale, anticipating Djokovic’s tactics and covering the court with great speed to get an early break. The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier played confidently on his forehand and saved two break points at 3-2, but failed to convert two set points when serving for the set at 5-4. Djokovic increased his aggression on his backhand side and landed a winning shot, a tactic he has used all week, before winning his first break of the game.
Djokovic served well under pressure to save three break points in a 12-minute game at 5-5 and, more confidently, attacked his opponent’s backhand to reach set point in the next game. At that point, Ruud attempted to score his 13th set-winning forehand, but missed his favorite shot to give Djokovic a one-set lead.
Djokovic continued to serve with power and precision to escape danger early in the second set and won the first break at 3-2 with powerful groundstrokes. The 17-time Grand Slam champion hit three consecutive winners on Ruud’s right corner and took advantage of a Ruud forehand error to move two games away from victory. Djokovic achieved success by driving his backhand down the line in the final stages and booked his place in the final when Ruud couldn’t control a backhand comeback.
“It was a tough two sets today. It was more than two hours for two sets, ”said Djokovic. “I definitely had to work hard for most of the points and it really was everyone’s game in the first set… It was very windy.
“To be honest, it was probably the windiest day since we arrived in Rome and it was quite difficult to handle. But the second set was much better, I got used to it and started moving the ball better ”.
