{"id":298191,"date":"2023-11-04T12:26:20","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T12:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=298191"},"modified":"2023-11-04T12:26:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T12:26:20","slug":"novak-djokovic-overcomes-booing-crowd-to-beat-holger-rune-at-paris-masters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/tennis\/novak-djokovic-overcomes-booing-crowd-to-beat-holger-rune-at-paris-masters\/","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic overcomes booing crowd to beat Holger Rune at Paris Masters"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic silenced a partisan crowd with a 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4 win over Holger Rune to march into the semi-finals and take another step towards a seventh Paris Masters crown.<\/p>\n
In a repeat of the 2022 showpiece, Djokovic was able to brush off boos and a heated exchange with the umpire to edge out the Danish youngster in another three-set thriller in Bercy.<\/p>\n
Victory for Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches and helped avenge last year\u2019s loss to Rune in the ATP 1000 tournament.<\/p>\n
The first set was extremely hard-fought and it was not until deuce in the 12th game that a break point was fashioned, but world number one Djokovic showed his class by taking full advantage with a volley at the net to edge the opener.<\/p>\n
It was a different story in set two with early breaks exchanged before Djokovic forced a match point at 5-4 only for Rune to hold his nerve in front of new coach Boris Becker.<\/p>\n
Djokovic came to blows with umpire Renaud Lichtenstein during the same service game over a challenge by Rune, which resulted in boos from the Paris crowd at the end of the second set after Rune had taken the tie-breaker.<\/p>\n
The 24-time grand-slam champion regrouped in impressive fashion though and clinched an early break in the third set to move 3-1 up before the top seed closed out a gutsy victory in two hours and 54 minutes.<\/p>\n
Djokovic appeared to mimic England and Real Madrid\u2019s Jude Bellingham in his celebration with his arms outstretched before he looked around at the Accor Arena crowd.<\/p>\n