Athens, Nov 9 (IANS) Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic dramatically captured his 101st career title on Saturday at the Hellenic Championship in Athens, where he simultaneously ended Lorenzo Musetti’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals.

The 38-year-old Serbian left it all on the court in a gutsy 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory in the final, which featured 13 break points and five breaks of serve in a topsy-turvy deciding set. With his 72nd tour-level title on hard courts, Djokovic also cut his tie with Roger Federer for the most crowns in the Open Era.

Djokovic is the most successful male player in the history of the game with 24 Grand Slam titles so far. He also among the players with the most wins on the ATP Tour.

Musetti needed to capture the title to leapfrog Felix Auger-Aliassime into the final qualification spot for the season-ending finale in Turin. He saved a match point in the sem-finals against Sebastian Korda, but he was unable to build on a promising start against the former World No. 1 Djokovic in the championship match.

Tien captures maiden ATP Tour title in Metz

Meanwhile, Learner Tien won his maiden ATP Tour title spectacularly on Saturday at the Moselle Open in Metz, where he overcame Cameron Norrie 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6).

The 19-year-old American trailed 1/5 in the deciding-set tie-break, but he swung freely to turn the match on its head and clinch the biggest win of his fledgling career. Tien, who is set to make his debut inside the Top 30 of the ATP Rankings, became the first American teenager to win an ATP Tour title since Andy Roddick, 19, in 2002.

Cameron Norrie, who fell in the Metz final in 2024, seemed poised to avenge last year’s heartbreak, but ultimately fell just short. He will close the season with a 34-26 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

–IANS

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