▲ Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (11th ranked, Serbia) has set a new record as the oldest match winner in the history of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour Paris Masters.
On the 3rd (local time), Djokovic defeated Valentin Vacherot (27th ranked, Monaco) 2-1 (6-7<5-7> 7-5 6-1) in the first round of the singles tournament on the second day of the event held in Paris, France.
According to sports statistics provider Opta, Djokovic, at 39 years and 164 days old, earned his place as the oldest player to secure a victory at the tournament.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the Paris Masters, overcame three match points in the second set to pull off a thrilling comeback victory.
During the second set, he also called a medical timeout to receive treatment for his right shoulder.
After the match, Djokovic joked, "Not bad for an old guy, right?" and added, "People think I'm too old and slow, but I somehow find a way to win these tight matches."
Djokovic also kept his hopes alive for qualifying for the ATP Finals, the season-ending championship.
The top eight singles players of the season earn spots in the Finals, but with second-ranked Jannik Sinner (Italy) unable to play for the rest of the season due to injury, players finishing within the top nine this year can qualify.
Ranked 11th, Djokovic needs to surpass 9th-ranked Alex de Minaur (Australia) to reach the Finals stage.
The two are scheduled to face each other in the third round of the Paris Masters, and this match is widely expected to determine the owner of the final ticket to the Finals.
Alexander Zverev (1st, Germany), Carlos Alcaraz (3rd, Spain), Ben Shelton (4th, United States), and Daniil Medvedev (5th, Russia) have already secured their spots in the Finals.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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