World number one Novak Djokovic overcame an early test from Casper Ruud to seal a 7-6(4) 6-2 win at the Nitto ATP Finals.
The year-end world number one was triumphant in his opening match at the Nitto ATP Finals after a tricky start.
Ruud, who is competing in his first season-ending finale, made a positive start as he took advantage of a lack of first serves from Djokovic to break in the first game.
The Norwegian has won five titles this season and clearly wasn’t here to make up the numbers as he used his strong forehand to dictate the early tempo of the match.
Eventually Djokovic settled into the match on serve and was patient before breaking in the sixth game with some resilient defensive patterns of play.
Both players were using the full dimensions of the court as the court was treated to some entertaining rallies in the opening set.
In the ninth game it looked like some superior Djokovic returning was going to earn him the set.
But Ruud denied him with some sensational passing shots as well as some quickfire aces as he remained clutch as the opening set would head into a tiebreak.
One of Ruud’s most impressive sets of the season would end in him losing it as Djokovic controlled the big points and used some impressive angles to change the direction of rallies as he took the tiebreak 7-4.
As expected the eighth seed’s level dropped in the second set as Djokovic’s consistent brilliance was too much in the second.
Good use of pace, depth and Spin secured a double break lead at 4-1 and the Serb never really looked back as he sealed his first victory in this year’s competition.
Djokovic’s pursuit for a sixth Nitto ATP Finals title will continue on Wednesday when he plays Stefanos Tsitsipas or Andrey Rublev.
While Ruud will look to take the positives from that opening set display as he faces the loser of Tsitsipas v Rublev on Wednesday.
