Novak Djokovic vs Stefanos Tsitsipas Australian Open 2023 Final Highlights: Djokovic beats Tsitsipas for 10th title

Makes a mockery of Tsitsipas’ second serve. Stands and returns. Tsitsipas a mere spectator there. A forehand error and the Greek goes 0-3 down. Tsitsipas seems to have given up with Djokovic having lifted his game up a notch. Djokovic gets distracted by a fan who screamed during the middle of the long rally. Tsitsipas makes it 1-5 and the 2-5 with a superb serve. 

That was an extraordinary point! Drawns Djokovic to the net and then delivers a dipping backhand return. 3-5 for Tsitsipas. Djokovic then moves to 3 championship points. Tsistsipas saves one and then another. BUT DJOKOVIC EVENTUALLY DOES IT! 10th title in Melbourne! 22nd Grand Slam title in all!

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) Tsitsipas

Credit to Tsitsipas on that first point. Djokovic threw everything at him with his incredible defense. Then goes 30-0 up. Holds to 30. 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-6 *Tsitsipas

A tie-breaker seems certain almost. But pressure is back on Tsitsipas here as Djokovic holds to love again. The Serb surely has been exceptional with his serves, got to be frustrating for Tsitsipas to not have created enough opportunities

Djokovic* 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-5 Tsitsipas

Djokovic looks in a hurry to finish things off as he makes it 30-all. Two brilliant serves from Tsitsipas and he keeps the third set alive. 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 5-5 *Tsitsipas

What a choice of shot! Pushes Tsitsipas back with the wide return and then goes for the drop shot. Holds to love. Djokovic now a game away from the title

Djokovic* 6-3, 7-6 (4), 5-4 Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas willing to stay in the conversation. But to beat Djokovic it would take a miracle from here on. Holds to 15. 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 4-4 *Tsitsipas

Dropshot magic from Tsitsipas. Djokovic misses. Another one there, but Djokovic sent it over the net this time. Tsitsipas was well alert and he volleyed it back. Djokovic’s return goes over Tsitsipas and over the baseline. 30-0 up. Double fault makes it 30-15. The Greek eventually holds to 15. 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 3-3 *Tsitsipas

Ace to make it 30-all. And then comes a wonderous point! That is how much it takes to take a point from Djokovic. Holds serve. 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 2-2 *Tsitsipas

Break back chance immediately for Djokovic. Tsitsipas saves with a wide serve and a volley. Deuce. That backhand down the line….pure class from Djokovic. Another break point opportunity for the Serb. And he breaks back. Exceptional from Djokovic.

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 1-1 *Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas makes a perfect start after what transpired at the end of the second set. He breaks Djokovic for the first time in the match. 

Djokovic* 6-3, 7-6 (4), 0-1 Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic has only lost one match his his career after going two sets up – against Jurgen Melzer, Roland Garros 2010.

Tsitsipas once again levels the score to 4-all. ‘Tsitsipas’ chants immediately breaks. He immediately errs on forehand. And now a backhand error from him. Djokovic on 2 set points. And he gets it. Djokovic has the 2nd set! 

Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (4) Tsitsipas

Djokovic won 22 of his last 23 tie-breakers. SCARY! And Tsitsipas lets gone of the first chance. Djokovic gets a 1-0 psychological advantage. The Greek levels it up. 1-1 now. But soon finds himself 1-3 down after losing twice on his serve. Tsitsipas then draws an error of Djokovic’s backhand. 2-4 for the Greek. 

Djokovic 6-3, 6-6 Tsitsipas

Djokovic has calmed himself down and happened all during that changeover with the towel around his neck, He was covering his ears as well. Races to 40-0 lead. Another stinging forehand from Tsitsipas! Changed the pace and Djokovic failed to return. 40-30 for the Serb now. Eventually holds. On to the tie-breaker.

Djokovic* 6-3, 6-6 Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas puts pressure back on Djokovic. Holds to love

Djokovic 6-3, 5-6 *Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas wanted to be aggressive with his forehand, but he was just too far behind to push that crosscourt return. 30-all. Wait! Djokovic misses the backhand down the line return. Break point for Tsitsipas. Crowd unsettles Djokovic right before his serve. Djokovic saves with a forehand down the line at the end of a long rally. Deuce. Djokovic then gets to advantage on a backhand error from Tsitsipas. Another missed opportunity for the Greek. Wanted to push Djokovic to backhand side to open the court, but the return goes over the line.

Djokovic* 6-3, 5-5 Tsitsipas

Djokovic turns defense to offence in a blink of an eye with his forehand crosscourt return. Pushes for the break point, but errs on the next. Tsitsipas remains in the conversation. 

Djokovic 6-3, 4-5 *Tsitsipas

Bit of fortune for Djokovic. The return hits the net, goes over. Tsitsipas hurriedly runs front to slice it over, but it goes over the line. The Greek then sets him up with a stunning backhand return, but the incredible defense from Djokovic denied Tsitsipas the point as he erred at the net. 

Djokovic* 6-3, 4-4 Tsitsipas

Djokovic is frustrated. Since that fall, he has been hurling a few words at his box. His coach Goran Ivanišević has been trying to calm him down. Tsitsipas is surely in his head now. 

Djokovic has a tumble! Tsitsipas made a good work out there with the long baseline rally and Djokovic went down during the backhand return. And that is a big hold. That backhand from Tsitsipas was a dipping shot. Djokovic looked for the drop shot, but it went over the line. 

Djokovic 6-3, 3-4 *Tsitsipas

Another huge hold from Tsitsipas. Had to level the score to deuce before taking the game with an ace.  

Djokovic 6-3, 2-3 *Tsitsipas

That was a clear chance for a forehand down the line and get the break point. Had put Djokovic to play the uncomfortable overhead hit. But the forehand went well over the baseline. Djokovic wrapped up the game with an ace. 

Djokovic* 6-3, 2-2 Tsitsipas

The forehand is coming through finally in this set. The crowd has got behind Tsitsipas. He should capitalise on this energy. Wonderful hold with that drop shot. 

Djokovic 6-3, 1-2 *Tsitsipas

Good response from Tsitsipas after that opening set. Holds to 15. Djokovic then does what he has been doing, holds to love. 

Djokovic* 6-3, 1-1 Tsitsipas

Djokovic: 94% 1st serve win, 9 winners, 7 UE, 3/3 on net points

Tsitsipas: 73% 1st serve win, 9 winners, 11 UE, no break points created

These small glimmers of hope that Tsitsipas shows…yet he is so far away from the target. 40-15 up goes Djokovic. Holds. First set goes to Djokovic. 

Djokovic* 6-3 Tsitsipas

Two very good serves, wide out, and Tsitsipas makes it 40-15. Ace to hold. But it is now time to turn the pressure on the Serb

Djokovic 5-3 *Tsitsipas

Commentator just mentions that every time Djokovic hits two backhands in a rally, he wins on the third. Ace to hold to 15. It has been a flawless start form Djokovic. He now is a game away from taking the opening set.

Djokovic* 5-2 Tsitsipas

Ace to get out of the jail. Tsitsipas survives again with his biggest weapon. He still stays alive in the opening set. But he needs to get more forehands. 

Djokovic 4-2 *Tsitsipas

Djokovic races away to a 40-0 lead on serve. Tsitsipas then draws a second forehand error from Djokovic. 40-30. Tsitsipas goes for the drop shot, doesn’t work as Djokovic puts it away comfortably. Holds.

Djokovic* 4-1 Tsitsipas

That was a long rally of heavyweight exchanges and Tsitsipas gets on top to outrun Djokovic. 15-all. The Greek once again levels it up with a perfect ace wide towards the backhand side. 30-all. Tsitsipas errs on the forehand return and Djokovic has a break point. And the Serb converts after Tsitsipas makes a double fault.

Djokovic 3-1 *Tsitsipas

Another quick service game from Djokovic. Holds to love. This is what he will be aiming for, to wrap up his serves quickly and keep putting pressure on Tsitsipas’ serve. PAressure on the Greek now. 

Djokovic* 2-1 Tsitsipas

In last three of his four games, Djokovic had broken straight away in the opening set. He is already 30-0 up in the Greek’s serve. Finally the huge roar from the crowd as Tsitsipas gets an ace. A long exchange and then Tsitsipas sends the backhand down the line over the baseline. 2 break points for Djokovic. Ace and then a forehand error from Djokovic levels it to deuce. Holds with an ace. But that was a significant hold. 

Djokovic  1-1 *Tsitsipas

A very comfortable start from the nine-time champion. Holds to 15 in the opening game. 

Djokovic * 1-0 Tsitsipas

The blockbuster summit clash gets underway. Only one player will emerge as the champion at the end of this night. But as of now, just sit back and enjoy the ride as Djokovic and Tsitsipas kick off the battle for the crown. 

Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas make their way into the Rod Laver Arena. What a reception for both the players! One player, tonight, will walk out as the new champion of the Melbourne Park and become the world no.1. 

Djokovic secured straight sets win in the semifinals, defeating USA’s Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-1, and 6-2. 

Tsitsipas, on the other hand, got decent competition from Karen Khachanov in the semis, which he won 7(7)-6(2), 6-4, 6(6)-7(8), and 6-3.

While Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head record, the two tennis stars are unbeaten this season. So the contest is anticipated to be a cracker. 

“I’m playing great tennis. I’m enjoying myself. I just see no downside or negativity in what I’m trying to do out there. I genuinely believe in what I’m able to produce. That is more than enough,” said Tsitsipas ahead of AUS Open final against Djokovic.

The weather in Melbourne is slightly cloudy with the temperature hovering around 20-22 degrees Celsius.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will be making his second final appearance at a Grand Slam event. He had lost the previous one against the same opponent in the 2021 French Open final.

But the Greek will hope for a change in fortune this time around.

The two have met on 12 occasions previously with Novak Djokovic winning the contest 10 times. Tsitsipas have won the other two times. 

Meanwhile, Djokovic will also enter the match on the back on nine consecutive victories over the Greek tennis star.

Exactly a year ago, Novak Djokovic was not allowed to participate at the Australian Open and was deported from the country for not being vaccinates against Covid-19. A year later, he takes a 27-match Australian Open winning streak into the final. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas, on the other hand, is vying for his maiden Grand Slam title, which if he does will also move him to No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

Djokovic, who is playing his 33rd major final, is chasing a record-extending 10th title in Melbourne, which if he does will take him on level terms with GOAT Rafa Nadal, who has won a total of 22nd Grand Slams. 

Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the Australian Open 2023 finals between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The match will be played at the Rod Laver Arena and will start from 2:00 pm IST. Stay tuned for all the updates related to the match!