Djokovic Grinds Down Dimitrov, Clinches First Set In Paris Final

Novak Djokovic has moved within one set of a record-extending 40th ATP Masters 1000 crown after moving ahead in Sunday’s Rolex Paris Masters championship match against Grigor Dimitrov.

Djokovic leads 6-4 after pulling away from the Bulgarian following a cagey start inside Accor Arena. The Serbian, who is chasing a record-extending seventh title at the indoor hard-court event, won 88 per cent (15/17) of points behind his first serve in a largely solid first-set display.

That dominance behind his delivery allowed Djokovic to hit freely on return, and he clinched a decisive break in the seventh game as Dimitrov, who made a costly 19 unforced errors in the set, struggled to match the 36-year-old’s consistency from the baseline.

The World No. 1 Djokovic entered Sunday’s final on a 17-match winning streak and having won his past nine Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with Dimitrov. Should he go on to complete victory in Paris, he will increase his Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin lead over Carlos Alcaraz to 1490 points and make it highly likely he will claim the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honour for a record-extending eighth time.

More to follow…