ATP Paris: Novak Djokovic wins 40th Masters 1000 title

World number 1 Novak Djokovic bagged his milestone 40th Masters 1000 title in Paris, clinching his seventh trophy in the French capital. Djokovic faced Grigor Dimitrov in the championship showdown and secured a 6-4, 6-3 victory in one hour and 38 minutes.

The Serbian tennis ace marked his 399th Masters 1000 win, coming one step closer to joining the 'Club 400' alongside Rafael Nadal. Djokovic also notched his 97th ATP title, trailing Roger Federer by just six. In the preceding rounds, Djokovic faced tough challenges against Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, and Andrey Rublev, often battling through three-set matches and spending nearly nine hours on the court.

The seasoned player conserved enough energy for the title match, encountering no difficulties with his initial serves and breaking Grigor twice to prolong his remarkable journey at the Paris Masters. Djokovic stands alone with a record 17 appearances in Paris, remaining competitive for nearly two decades and clinching a Masters 1000 title at the age of 36 years and five months.

Dimitrov displayed strong performance en route to his second Masters 1000 final. However, he couldn't overcome the formidable opponent, failing to create break opportunities and struggling to match Djokovic's pace behind the initial serve.

The Bulgarian held his serve after a deuce in the opening game, and Djokovic levelled the score at 1-1 with a service winner in the following game. Both players served efficiently in the subsequent four games, reaching 3-3 following a well-placed ace by Novak down the T-line.

In the seventh game, Grigor served and made a crucial backhand error at the net, resulting in a break that put him 4-3 behind. Djokovic extended his advantage with a service winner a few minutes later, maintaining a love hold and moving ahead 5-3. Grigor managed to push Djokovic to deuce in the tenth game but ultimately erred with a backhand, conceding the set to Novak 6-4 after 51 minutes.

At the beginning of the second set, both players held their serves with authority, reaching a 2-2 tie. In a crucial game, Dimitrov squandered two game points at 2-2 and hit a backhand long, leading to a break that left him trailing. While the Bulgarian defended against another break point in the seventh game, Djokovic capitalised on Grigor's backhand error at 5-3 to secure the victory and celebrate his 40th Masters 1000 crown.

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