Novak Djokovic came from a set down to defeat Ugo Humbert at the Swiss Indoors Basel on Wednesday, keeping his ATP Finals qualification hopes alive.
Competing in Basel for the first time in 15 years, Humbert troubled Djokovic with his powerful left-handed forehand and flat groundstrokes on the indoor hard court. The Frenchman broke the Serbian's serve once to take the opening set 6-4. Djokovic faced further pressure at the start of the second set, saving two break points to avoid falling further behind. The 24-time Grand Slam champion responded by breaking Humbert in the following game to seize the momentum.
Humbert, who has won four of his seven ATP Tour titles on indoor courts, took a medical timeout at 1-4 in the second set to receive treatment on his lower back. He struggled to regain his footing as Djokovic levelled the match with a 6-3 second-set win before closing out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory after two hours and 30 minutes.
"I was under attack from the very first point and had to weather the storm," Djokovic, who saved five of the six break points, 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." The victory marked Djokovic's 20th tour-level win of the year, extending his remarkable streak of recording at least 20 wins in 21 consecutive seasons.
The win also kept Djokovic in contention for a place at the ATP Finals in Turin. He started the day 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, 319 points behind Rafael Jodar, who holds the final qualification spot and also reached the second round in Basel, earning 50 points.
Djokovic is also chasing a second milestone in Basel, where he is aiming to match Roger Federer's tally of 103 tour-level titles in the Open Era. The Serbian claimed his 102nd title in Beijing in October, ending a year-long wait for a title.
