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'It’s paying off'

Novak Djokovic embraces Mr Bendy nickname after smashing German prodigy Alexander Zverev at ATP World Tour finals

Serbian star was praised for his signature elasticity on-court as he secured a 6-4 6-1 victory over the 21-year-old

NOVAK DJOKOVIC was nicknamed Mr Bendy as he wiped the floor with the leader of tennis’ Next Generation.

The World No.1 was at his dynamic best as he secured his second win of the Nitto ATP Finals with a 6-4 6-1 victory over German prodigy Alexander Zverev at the O2 Arena.

 Novak Djokovic edged closer to the semi-finals with an impressive win over the German
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Novak Djokovic edged closer to the semi-finals with an impressive win over the GermanCredit: AFP or licensors

The supple Serb, who aggressively chases after every ball, was praised for his signature elasticity on-court at this late stage of the season.

And he laughed: “So I’m Mr Bendy now?

“Well that’s a first. I’ve been called different names for my flexibility.

“I’ve relied on it since I was a boy and first started to play tennis.

 The 31-year-old secured his second win of the Nitto ATP Finals
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The 31-year-old secured his second win of the Nitto ATP FinalsCredit: Reuters

“I skied a lot and played different sports. I was fortunate to be around people who emphasised stretching for career longevity – and it’s paying off now.”

Zverev has been long-heralded as the future of men’s tennis once Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal hang up their racquets.

And the No.3 seed went toe-to-toe with the 14-time major winner for most of the first set.

The 21-year-old from Hamburg had TWO break points in a thrilling ninth game.

 The Serbian star went on to win 6-4 6-1 at the O2 Arena
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The Serbian star went on to win 6-4 6-1 at the O2 ArenaCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Yet he squandered both those opportunities and it was no surprise he banged his racquet on the ground in anger and frustration.

To add to his woes, his double fault in the next game gifted Djokovic a crucial break of serve and enabled the Serb to win the opening set.

Zverev must learn to curb his temper and perhaps not let those errors cloud his game in the heat of battle.

In the second set, he completely lost rhythm and concentration, which a dominant Djokovic exploited to win six out of seven games – with two breaks of serve – in just 28 minutes.

 Alexander Zverev made an encouraging start against the World No.1
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Alexander Zverev made an encouraging start against the World No.1Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Ivan Lendl turned Andy Murray from a contender into a major-winner and the Czech-born coach will hope to do the same with Zverev.

Djokovic said: “There’s a lot of quality in the new generation, and Zverev is obviously the leader. He has proven himself, established himself as a top player.

“Obviously experience plays an important role in these kind of matches, knowing how to kind of approach, play, behave in certain moments, how to deal and cope with pressure.

"So obviously that’s on our side as older players.

 Novak Djokovic was nicknamed Mr Bendy because of his signature elasticity
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Novak Djokovic was nicknamed Mr Bendy because of his signature elasticityCredit: Reuters

“He’s definitely on the good path. Having Lendl can only serve him as an incentive for an improvement.”

Wimbledon champion Djokovic will today attend the launch of the new 24-nation ATP World Team Cup in January 2020 – a rival to Gerard Pique’s revamped Davis Cup next year.

However, in his role as President of the ATP Player Council, Djokovic believes there are too many tournaments in the calendar already.

The 31-year-old said: “The Davis Cup and World Team Cup situation is delicate.

 The German ace launched his racquet after he lost a point at the O2 Arena
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The German ace launched his racquet after he lost a point at the O2 ArenaCredit: AFP or licensors

“In the next two years we'll have both events happening in a very similar format if not the same, six weeks apart. I honestly don’t think it's good for the sport.

“It’s not sustainable. It will happen that we will have two average events.

“We have the longest season in all sports. We're just adding events. We kind of have to try to focus on quality rather than quantity.”

 The 31-year-old superstar is currently ranked World No.1
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The 31-year-old superstar is currently ranked World No.1Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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