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Novak Djokovic edged out Taylor Fritz 7-6(5), 7-6(8) to storm into the title round of the ATP Finals in Turin. In doing so, the Serbian also equaled Rafael Nadal's tally of 130 finals appearances in ATP-level tournaments.
Jimmy Connors heads the all-time list of players featured in most finals at ATP events. The American qualified for the finals of ATP-level events a whopping 168 times over the course of an illustrious career that stretched from 1972 to 1996, winning 109 titles.
Roger Federer comes in behind Connors with 157 appearances in finals, with the Swiss maestro triumphing in 103 of these title-round matches. Ivan Lendl is in the third position with 146 ATP-level final appearances. The Czech-American was part of 19 Grand Slam finals over the course of his career, winning eight.
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Following his triumph against Taylor Fritz in Turin, Novak Djokovic, who rose to the fifth spot by reaching his 124th ATP final in Serbia, has now caught up with Nadal.
After losing to Andrey Rublev in Serbia, the Serb won the Italian Open before bagging a record seventh Wimbledon crown. He followed up the title win with two more in Tel Aviv and Astana.
"I had to fight to survive" - Novak Djokovic after getting past Taylor Fritz in Turin
Novak Djokovic is on the verge of ending the year on a high after missing out on the Australian Open, the early-season North American hardcourt swing, and the US Open series.
The former World No. 1 who slid down the rankings ladder as a result of not being permitted to play several tournaments on account of his COVID-19 vaccination status, stated after the semifinal win that he "didn't feel very reactive" or "comfortable" after managing to get past Daniil Medvedev yesterday.
"I had to fight to survive. I didn’t feel very reactive today or very comfortable. I knew coming into today’s match from yesterday’s grueling battle against [Daniil] Medvedev I knew it would take me some time to adjust and find the dynamic movement I need against Fritz, who is one of the best servers on the Tour," he said.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion also stated that he was pleased to have come away with a win despite not being at his best.
“I am very pleased to have overcome this one as I don’t think it was one of my best days with my tennis, but I managed to hang in there,” he added.
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