Good afternoon and welcome to LIVE updates of the 2021 French Open final between world number one, Novak Djokovic and No.5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic is hoping to become the first man in the Open era to win all four Grand Slams twice. The Serb won his first Roland Garros crown in 2016 and is the red-hot favourite to add to that solitary success on the red dirt after taking down 13-time champion Rafael Nadal. Can 22-year-old Tsitsipas stop his charge in his maiden Slam final? We’re about to find out. The players are due on court from 14.00 BST.
N. Djokovic vs S. Tsitsipas | Roland-Garros
Men's Singles | Final | 13.06.2021 | Court Philippe-Chatrier
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Completed
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N. Djokovic (1)
66
2
6
6
6
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S. Tsitsipas (5)
78
6
3
2
4
Live
Live Updates
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Updated 13/06/2021 at 17:26 GMT
SET! - DJOKOVIC 6-7 2-6 TSITSIPAS. That’s a strange old return game from Djokovic but Stef won’t mind. The Serb doesn’t come close to piling on the heat and the 22-year-old from Athens serves it out to 15 to take a two-set lead. He’s just one away from a maiden Slam. Djokovic will need to do it in five now.
BREAK! - DJOKOVIC 6-7 2-5 TSITSIPAS. Incredible! Tsitsipas secures the double break when Djoker goes too big on a forehand on a third break point and rifles it into the net. The Serb had got out of jail from double break point down as the No.5 seed’s forehand on the second clipped the net and dropped just out. Is Djokovic simply tired from his exertions against Nadal? Or will we see him come flying back as has been the case in the past?
DJOKOVIC 6-7 2-4 TSITSIPAS. Stefanos matches him though. The Greek charges to a perfect hold, slamming down ace number eight to finish.
DJOKOVIC 6-7 2-3 TSITSIPAS. Lull over? It appears to be the case as the Serb nails a third ace and realigns the radar for incredulous depth to ratle to a love hold.
DJOKOVIC 6-7 1-3 TSITSIPAS. That was too good. You can make all the excuses for Djokovic by searching for reasons why he has dipped but he’s second best at present. It most probably won’t last but Tsitsipas continues to focus on his own game and charges through an effective hold to 15 to maintain his advantage.
DJOKOVIC 6-7 1-2 TSITSIPAS. Nole gets himself on the board. A bewitching drop shot and some delightful hand skills close to the net set him on his way before a big serve down the T seals the hold to 15.
DJOKOVIC 6-7 0-2 TSITSIPAS. It’s a real battle but Stefanos finds a perfect one-two punch to consolidate from deuce. The Greek plays catch up but is helped along by more misfiring from Djokovic. It’s most notable on that inability to put away another overhead but he still has a look at the break-back from 15-30 and deuce. Stef won’t let it slip at present though and clutch serving and a purring forehand see him through the danger.
BREAK! – DJOKOVIC 6-7 0-1 TSITSIPAS. What a start to Set 2! It’s a dreadful game from Novak’s perspective. He follows up a double fault with terrible drive volley long, once again struggling to handle the high ball in the air. A rasping wrong-footing forehand from Tsitsipas gives him three bites at the beak and he gets it done on the second of those when his power again forces Nole to flash long.
SET! - DJOKOVIC 6-7 TSITSIPAS. The Greek takes an epic opener after one hour and eight minutes. A scorching inside-out forehand conjures up a second set point at 7-6 in the breaker and he overpowers Nole in the ensuing rally to force and error wide and claim it 8-6. The world number one came from a set down to sink Nadal on Friday – and he’s going to have to do it again here.
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Image credit: Eurosport
TB LATEST: Tsitsipas hammers a wonderful forehand winner up the line to lead 5-2. Djoker moves up to full throttle to take four points on the spin but does get very, very lucky with a block at the net that tickles the tape and somehow drops over. Stefanos is 5-6 down on his second serve but finds a brilliant forehand to the Serb’s right corner to level. Its 6-6 and another change of ends.
TB LATEST: Tsitsipas flies out of the traps and takes advantage of a double fault and some clear but strange wobbles from the world number one. The Greek takes charge at 4-0 but Novak gets it together with a strong point to glide into the net and grab a mini break back. He then conjures up a delightful drop shot to trail 4-2 at the change of ends.
BREAK! – DJOKOVIC 6-6 TSITSIPAS. Wow! That is unexpected. Djokovic appears to have made an issue out of looking towards the glare of the sun and is blinking like crazy. It’s no excuse for poor-decision-making though. A poor drop shot barely makes the net and Stefanos forces an error with a huge return to clock up triple break back point. He gets it on the second as another howitzer of a forehand gets the error. We are heading into a tie break!
BREAK! – DJOKOVIC 6-5 TSITSIPAS. You’ve read this script before. Djokovic springs from desperate defence in his last game into full-on attack mode. Tsitsipas gets rattled following a time violation and begins to unravel from 30-15 up. The errors leak off his racket and he can’t find the solution. Djokovic breaks and will serve for a set where he has been dominant, one or two games aside.
DJOKOVIC 5-5 TSITSIPAS. A Djoko-smash, so-called for the Serb’s occasional propensity to blow a very make-able overhead, opens a game where the world number one has to showcase his extraordinary defensive skills. He coughs up a set point when he shanks a forehand way off court via the top of the racket frame. Tsitsipas settles in to press but Djokovic soaks up all pressure and somehow survives. He’s made a career out of that sort of hold.
DJOKOVIC 4-5 TSITSIPAS. What a point! Stefanos slides into the net to produce acute angle on the crosscourt flick. Djoker retrieves it from way off court but the Greek is already on his way back to his own baseline and swivels quite brilliantly to flash a winner into the open court. It’s a convincing love hold and just the type of steely-focus he needs at this juncture in an opener where he’s had to come up with more answers than his opponent.
DJOKOVIC 4-4 TSITSIPAS. It’s not as straight-forward this time but still no alarm bells as Djoker achieves parity with the game to 15. His fizzing forehand into the Tsitsipas backhand is drawing mid-court responses and he’s reaping plenty of rewards there. Stef is going to have to make an adjustment to try and stop that being the obvious go-to play for the Serb.