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Djokovic wins Australian Open title to reach 22nd career Grand Slam

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Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his 10th Australian Open title and equal Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam crowns on Sunday — an achievement that he dubbed “the biggest victory in my life”.

The Serbian will return to world #1, too, as he swept past the Greek third seed 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) on Rod Laver Arena.

After the victory, the 35-year-old climbed to the player’s box to embrace his mother and brother and broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground sobbing.

His father, Srdjan, was missing from the audience after he was filmed earlier with a group of people with Russian flags — one with an image of Vladimir Putin — after Djokovic’s quarterfinal victory, sparking controversy.

The victory over Tsitsipas capped a remarkable return for Djokovic to Melbourne Park after he was deported from Australia last year because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

“I have to say this has been one of the most challenging tournaments I’ve ever played considering the circumstances, not playing last year, coming back this year,” he said.

“I want to thank all the people that made me feel welcome, to be comfortable, to be in Melbourne, to be in Australia.”

“I try to pinch myself and really live through these moments. It’s a long journey,” Djokovic added.

“Only my team and family know what we have been through in the last four or five weeks, and this is why I’d probably say this is the biggest victory in my life considering the circumstances.”

After his three-year ban from Australia was lifted, Djokovic stretched his unbeaten streak in Melbourne to 28 matches, the longest run at the tournament for a man in the Open era dating back to 1968.

He added his Melbourne trophy number 10 to the seven from Wimbledon, three from the US Open and two at the French Open, matching his rival Nadal for the most by a man in tennis history.

Margaret Court, with 24, Serena Williams, 23, and Steffi Graf, 22, have the most among women.

This was also the 93rd ATP tour-level title for Djokovic, allowing the 35-year-old from Serbia to break a tie with Nadal for the fourth most titles. Jimmy Connors still holds that record at 109.

Djokovic was participating in his 33rd major final, Tsitsipas in his second.

He was superior throughout the match against the Greek, especially in the two tiebreakers.

Djokovic took a 4-1 lead in the first and after it was 4-all, pulled off three points in a row.

He then led 5-0 in the closing tiebreaker. After winning the matchpoint, he pointed to his temple, climbed into the stands, pumped his fist and jumped with his coach Goran Ivanisevic and other entourage members, and collapsed, overjoyed.

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Roland Garros qualifiers: Napolitano and Giant ok, Fognini out

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Positive results for the Blue tennis on the first day of qualifying at Roland Garros. Stefano Napolitano and Matteo Gigante, in fact, qualified for the second round of the qualifying draw, while Fabio Fognini was eliminated.

Napolitano, who dropped in the ATP rankings to position number 603, surprisingly overcame the U.S. Colton Smith, world number 162, in three sets with a final score of 6-4 4-6 6-2 after two hours and twenty minutes of play.

A three-set victory also for Gigante, ATP ranking number 167, who beat Swiss Jerome Kym, world number 123, with a final score of 6-3 3-6 6-3 after two hours of play.

Nothing to do, however, for Fognini. The Ligurian tennis player, seventh seed in the seeding, lost decisively to American Nicolas Moreno De Alboran, who prevailed in two sets with a final score of 6-3 6-2 after an hour and 23 minutes of play.

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A fairytale Monday for Lorenzo Musetti

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It is a fairytale Monday for Lorenzo Musetti. After celebrating his personal best ranking in the morning, hoisting himself to number eight in the world rankings, the Carrara-based tennis player announced the’arrival of his second child.

Through a post shared on Instagram with partner Veronica Confalonieri, the azure revealed that he will become a father again. “The family expands” wrote the couple under a photo showing little Ludovico, their firstborn, and Musetti touching his mother’s belly.

There was no shortage of reactions from her colleagues and former ones: from the hearts of Flavio Cobolli, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani to the good wishes of Flavia Pennetta and Tathiana Garbin.

After his excellent results in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, the new world number eight has decided to withdraw from the Hamburg tournament in order to better prepare for Roland Garros, which kicks off on Sunday, May 25, on the red clay of Paris.

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Matteo Arnaldi recovers Gaston and hits the round of 16 in Geneva

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Matteo Arnaldi is off to a good start at the Geneva ATP 250. After a surprising elimination in the first round at the Internazionali d’Italia, the tennist from Liguria redeemed himself in his debut at the ‘Gonet Geneva Open’, defeating Hugo Gaston, world number 74, in a comeback.

The Blue won with a final score of 6-7 6-4 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours of struggle. In the first set it was the serve that dominated. The’only one to concede break points – two – was Gaston but the Frenchman saved himself and made the tie-break his own (8-6).

With the momentum in his favor, Gaston pulled ahead by a break in the second set, taking the serve away from Arnaldi in the sixth game (2-4). Here, however, came the Sanremese’s angry reaction, stringing together a run of four consecutive games (6-4), putting everything back on an even keel.

In the third and decisive set Arnaldi immediately escaped to 2-0 but was taken back by the transalpine (2-2). After another exchange of breaks, the’decisive stretch was signed by the Azure at 4-4, winning the last two games (6-4) and thus reaching the round of 16.

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