3:54 p.m .: ENOOOOORME the third saved on a monumental point of Rune! He was in the covers the Dane, I don’t know how he came back to this point (well if a bit with Djoko’s baby smash when he should have finished). 40-40.
3:54 p.m. : The first two saved – including the first on a rare miss from the Serb. It’s not folded yet!
3:53 p.m. : Three entry break points!
3:52 p.m .: Ouch ouch ouch Rune restarting in the worst way! Two unforced errors and it’s 0-30, shouldn’t let Nole go right away.
3:48 p.m. : Good too, it’s the first final at this level for Rune, don’t forget. While Djokovic is 347th in Masters 1000 (approximately). We’ll see if the Dane manages to let go a little more in the 2nd.
3:47 p.m .: FIRST SET DJOKO! The Imperial Serb for the moment, even if he was well helped by a service game completely missed by Rune to break. 6-3.
3:46 p.m. : Rho this forehand full line again from Djokovic… lace. It’s going to get the first round whistling. 30-0.
3:44 p.m .: It’s okay this time! The Dane is holding his serve to stay alive in this opening set. 5-3.
3:43 p.m. : Ah no, the tweener who does not pass on this lob very well touched by Djokovic. Caution Rune, 30A.
3:42 p.m. : Hey hey hey, it is still beautiful this point of the Dane! It is he who dictates the exchange, and even bothered by the leech Djoko he gets away with a big smash to conclude. It can put him in that, even if he loses that first set. 30-0.
3:41 p.m. : Come on, Rune who starts again well on his service. Good first + peno to play behind, it always feels good.
3:39 p.m .: Tranquillou again this face-off for the Serb, who leads his boat in this first round. 5-2.
3:37 p.m. : PAN, the racket-baseline missile on this backhand from Djokovic. We’ve seen it 1000 times and it’s still impressive. 30-0.
3:36 p.m. : That’s the climb that takes the Serb speed, and then the forehand dropped that lands in the lulu. He tries things, little Holger, that’s good. 4-2.
3:34 p.m. : It doesn’t play enough angles there Rune. For the first time this week perhaps the Dane is below in the exchange, it is he who suffers and if you leave Djoko in the court we know what happens… 30-15.
3:32 p.m. : Djoko making the hole while smoking the cigar on his service. 4-1, everything rolls for the boss.
3:30 p.m. : So always so close to completely melting a Rune Bolt… or so it seems. Good after, at 19 years old, it’s not aberrant either.
3:29 p.m .: HOP HOP HOP ANOTHER DOUBLE! And break given by the Dane to his opponent, who did not ask for so much. Thanks for the gift. 3-1 Djoko.
3:28 p.m .: Rune in danger on his service! The double that hurts, also under pressure from Djoko who has been playing looooooong since the start of this game. 15-40.
3:27 p.m. : Ah yes, you have to anticipate too soon against Djoko! Rune had gone diagonally, the other dropped him something soft but well placed in line. 15-A.
3:24 p.m. : Djoko’s two aces to extinguish the rebellion immediately behind. The Serb remains in the lead in this first round.
3:23 p.m. : Ouuuuuuuh this exceptional backhand cushioning from Rune, especially after having reversed a point where he was badly embarked. Impressive ! 30-15.
3:20 p.m. : Oh yes well negotiated these two points by the Dane at 30-30 on his serve. Djoko wandered from one side to the other without getting out of it, it’s not that often. 1-1.
3:18 p.m. : Always so expressive on the Rune court, seeking the gaze of his coach and Mouratoglou right next door. As if he still needed reassurance. 30-15.
3:16 p.m .: That’s better … Small low volley dropped behind the net, and then a big forehand in the opposite foot. It’s good 1-0 for the Serb.
3:15 p.m. : Oh well then, the double for Djokovic who is caught up when he was leading 40-0. First game finally tight.
3:13 p.m .: GO, LET’S GO! Djoko serving.
3:12 p.m. : And Djoko, sacred match yesterday against Tsitsipas. The level of play in the 3rd set, it was worth the price of the ticket. The Serb is in the running to win the tournament for the 7th time, just that.
3:10 p.m. : Four top 10 beaten this week anyway for Holger Rune, he didn’t come to take a picture of the Eiffel Tower the Dane.
3:05 p.m. : Go there they are our men of the day. I will give so much to enter a court one day by being announced by Marc Maury…
3:03 p.m. : So I didn’t understand everything but we just had a guy who plays the electric guitar very very loudly to start the final. I can’t really tell if he was playing well but he had long hair and a torn jacket so it had to be fine.
2:59 p.m. : Shows very promising in any case between these two players. Opposition of style, behavior, generation. To give you an idea of the gap between the two, Djoko turned pro the year Rune was born. not at all the kind of thing that makes you look old.
2:57 p.m .: TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURN ON THE SPOTLIGHTS, tututut
2:51 p.m. : Know in the meantime that the Koolhof-Skupski pair has just won the doubles tournament in Krajicek and Dodig. You can’t say you didn’t know.
2:47 p.m.: HELLO EVERYBODY! Bercy begins to fill up nicely, the music reaches a sound volume close to indecency, it feels like the big start for this final.
Here is a nice clash of generations. On our left, the boss Novak Djokovic, 35 years old and 21 Grand Slam titles to his name, still impressive as soon as he has the right to set foot on a court. To our right, the scabby Holger Rune, 19 and biting his teeth into his first real season with the big boys. The Dane is preparing to play his first Masters 1000 final after having carved up the top 10 (Hurkacz, Rublev, Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime). The last step will be the highest for the new terror of the “baby gen”, but the opposition is certainly worth devoting its Sunday afternoon to it (anyway outside it’s freezing).
>> We meet around 2:45 p.m. for the warm-up balls before diving into this final…