Tel Aviv (Israel), Oct. 3 (IANS): World No 7 and top seed Novak Djokovic defeated second seed Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the Tel Aviv Open 2022 title here on Sunday. With the victory, the Serbian became the first man to win a title on hard, clay (Rome) and grass courts (Wimbledon) this season. Djokovic did not lose a set at the indoor hard-court ATP 250, where he was never in difficulty against a lineup of dangerous opponents. The 35-year-old claimed his third tour-level crown of 2022 and the 89th of his career. Cilic entered the final having faced just four break points all week, but he was under pressure on serve throughout the championship clash. Djokovic found great depth on his returns against the big-serving Croatian, which set the tone. Djokovic constantly threatened his opponent’s serve with his play from the back of the court, while he dominated his own service games behind his first serve. The Serbian did not face a break point in the first set and when he found him
The 35-year-old tennis star looks to win his third title of the season, and 89th of his career, when he tackles Croatia's Marin Cilic in Sunday's final