Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Ugo Humbert 4-6 6-3 6-4 in Basel, keeping alive his hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. It was his first appearance at the tournament since 2011.
Battling through the final months of the year, Djokovic described the victory as a “big win” over the Frenchman. The men’s record 24-time major winner blasted a forehand winner down the line to close out the contest after two and a half hours.
The result keeps Djokovic, 11th in the race to Turin, in contention for a record 19th appearance at the ATP Finals, which only the year’s top eight performers qualify for.
Djokovic weathers the storm
The 39-year-old had won the Basel title in 2009, when he beat great rival Roger Federer in the final.
“I was under attack from the very first point and had to weather the storm,” Djokovic said.
“It’s my first indoor match, so I expected to be a little bit rusty in a tough draw. It is a big win for me, I know there are quite a few things I can do better but a win is a win, and I will take that today.”
Djokovic conceded the first set to the 38th-ranked Humbert but hung on in the second, twice saving break points to avoid an immediate setback. He then played solidly, breaking Humbert’s serve for the first time in the following game to kickstart his fightback.
The win was Djokovic’s 20th tour-level victory of the year. It marks the 21st consecutive season of his career in which he has reached that total.
Race to Turin and Basel history
Djokovic had entered the tournament 319 points behind Spain’s Rafael Jodar, who currently holds the final ATP Finals qualification spot. Jodar also gained 50 points after winning his first-round match.
Djokovic is also chasing Federer’s total of 103 tour-level titles, the second-most in the Open era, and is looking to add to his haul in Basel. He ended a year-long wait for his 102nd title in Beijing in October.
Dart and Badosa advance in Guangzhou
Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Harriet Dart reached the quarter-finals of the Guangzhou Open in China, beating second seed Janice Tjen of Indonesia 6-4 3-6 6-3 after two hours and 28 minutes.
Dart, ranked 115th in the world, will now face former world number two Paula Badosa. The Spaniard needed just 67 minutes to beat Austria’s Sinja Kraus 6-1 6-4.