PARIS -Novak Djokovic captured his second French Open title as he recovered from being outplayed for two sets by Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 …
PARIS -Novak Djokovic captured his second French Open title as he recovered from being outplayed for two sets by Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Sunday. Djokovic’s seismic semi-final win over 13-times champion Rafa Nadal looked like being in vain as an inspired Tsitsipas won the first two sets to stand on the brink of becoming Greece’s first Grand Slam champion. After failing to convert a set point in an enthralling 72-minute opener full of brutal rallies, and then crumbling in the second set, Djokovic looked drained. His hopes of banking a 19th Grand Slam title looked bleak but he rediscovered his mojo in the nick of time to turn the match around in emphatic fashion. The 34-year-old, who won his first French crown in 2016, rattled through the third and fourth sets as Tsitsipas, playing in his maiden Grand Slam final, lost his intensity. Fifth seed Tsitsipas valiantly tried to dig in at the start of the fifth set as the shadows spread across a sunlit Court Philippe Chatrier. But, having left so much perspiration on the red clay in the past week, Djokovic remained steadfast. There were nerves as he served at 5-4, netting an easy volley and then seeing a Tsitsipas backhand flash by him on championship point. But Djokovic knocked off a volley to end the contest after four hours and 11 minutes.
