CNN
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Teenager Holger Rune stunned Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters final on Sunday, winning 3-6 6-3 7-5 against the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Rune, 19, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, lost the first set and came back from a breakdown in the second to tie the game.
He then had to keep his cool in the decider, breaking for a 6-5 lead before saving six break points to claim the biggest title of his career.
This victory makes Rune the youngest Parisian champion since Boris Becker in 1986 and sees him enter the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time.
“I want to start by congratulating Novak as well,” he told Djokovic, who is 16 years his senior, in his post-match interview.
“You are one of my favorite players, I’ve watched you since I was little, I train with you. It’s a pleasure to be able to share the court with you now.
Hot on the heels of 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz’s maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, Rune now looks set to join the Spaniard as one of the game’s rising stars.
Djokovic had said ahead of Sunday’s final how much Rune “reminds me of myself”, and in the final the Dane had to channel the mental toughness and never say die attitude that characterized much of Djokovic’s career.
The victory capped a superb week for Rune, having beaten five of the top 10 players during the tournament, while saving match points against Stan Wawrinka in the first round.
When he pulled off an epic 16-minute match to claim victory over Djokovic, Rune lay down on the floor and covered his hands over his face in disbelief.
“If you had told me four weeks ago, I’d be in the top 10… I’d be like, ‘What, sorry?’ “, did he declare. “Now I’m here and I’m super proud.”
