Top seed <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/novak-djokovic-says-no-hard-feelings-over-australian-deportation-23262873" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Novak Djokovic</a> saved a match point on Sunday before defeating<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/sebastian-korda-named-his-cat-rafa-23024232" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"> Sebastian Korda</a> to win the Adelaide International and reinforce his status as a heavy title favourite for the Australian Open.&nbsp;
The 21-time Grand Slam winner needed more than three hours to stamp his authority on his unseeded American opponent, son of former World No.2 Petr Korda, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
<img title="Sebastian Korda" src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2023/jan/novcak-jan-nione-b_e.jpg" alt="Sebastian Korda" width="1280" height="720" />Sebastian Korda
<h2>Extends unbeaten streak</h2>
In doing so, Djokovic extended his unbeaten streak in Australia to 34 straight matches. The winner of 92 career titles now heads to the Australian Open in about a week with momentum in his bid to secure the Grand Slam for a 10th time, helped by the absence at Melbourne Park of injured World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/novak-djokovic-thankfully-nothing-too-serious-23264367" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Novak Djokovic: Thankfully, nothing too serious</a>
Djokovic, the 2007 champion at Adelaide in the early days of his career, called the pre-Open tune-up week &ldquo;very special for me&rdquo;, thrilled by overwhelming fan enthusiasm. &ldquo;It definitely felt like playing at home. It&rsquo;s been an amazing week. To be standing here is a gift definitely,&rdquo; said the Serbian World No.5, who missed last year&rsquo;s Australian Open after being deported over his vaccination status. &ldquo;I gave it my all today and throughout the week in order to be able to get my hands on this trophy. The support I have been getting in the last 10 days was something that I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve experienced too many times in my life,&rdquo; he added, with packed pro-Djokovic crowds whenever he played.&nbsp;
<img title="Women&rsquo;s champion Aryna Sabalenka. Pic/Getty Images" src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2023/jan/novcak-jan-nione-c_e.jpg" alt="Women&rsquo;s champion Aryna Sabalenka. Pic/Getty Images" width="1280" height="720" />Women&rsquo;s champion Aryna Sabalenka. Pic/Getty Images
<h2>Aryna wins women&rsquo;s final</h2>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/us-open-2022-aryna-sabalenka-into-quarters-for-2nd-time-23244630" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Aryna Sabalenka</a> fired an Australian Open warning shot Sunday by winning her first title since 2021 at the Adelaide International, beating rising Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
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Top seed Novak grateful for fan support during triumph over USA’s Sebastian Korda in Adelaide final on Oz return

Felt like playing at home: Novak Djokovic

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