Tel Aviv Watergen Open: Novak Djokovic beats Marin Cilic to claim the 89th title of his career

Novak Djokovic defeated the second seed Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4 after one hour and 35 minutes of play. The victory made the 35-year-old Serb, the first man to win a title on hard clay and grass surfaces this season, having won the titles at Rome Open and Wimbledon earlier this year. 

21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic did not lose even a single set en route to his title victory on the indoor hard courts at ATP 250 event in Tel Aviv. It was the 89th overall and third title victory of the season for the Serbian legend.

Novak Djokovic dominated Marin Cilic with his explosive first serve and threatened the service games of his Croatian opponent with his game from the back of the court. 

He did not face any breakpoints in the opening set and responded to the attacks of Marin Cilic with back-to-back aces. 

Marin Cilic entered the championship clash having faced just four break points in his previous matches at the Tel Aviv Watergen Open. However, he was on the backfoot throughout the championship clash against the great depth of Novak Djokovic.

The top seed served seven aces, won 89% of the points on the first serve and broke the serve of Marin Cilic two times from six opportunities. In contrast, the 34-year-old Croatian served 13 aces, won 71% of the points on the first serve and committed five double faults.

The victory extended the win-loss streak of Novak Djokovic over Marin Cilic to 19-2, with 13 of the 19 wins coming in straight sets.

After the victory, Novak Djokovic said, “My approach is to win tournaments wherever I am and I’m glad that I have a team of people around me that makes sure that I am in the best shape to be a contender to win titles. That’s why I came to Israel, to try to win the title. First time playing here [since a] Davis Cup tie more than 15 years ago, so it was an amazing experience.”