Tennis player Novak Djokovic beats Ugo Humbert in Basel — BBC Sport

Tennis player Novak Djokovic earned a comeback victory over Frenchman Ugo Humbert in Basel, 4:6, 6:3, 6:4. The Serb played at this tournament for the first time in 15 years and won a match that lasted two and a half hours, BBC Sport reports.

Victory after losing the first set

Djokovic lost the first set and saved two break points early in the second. He then broke Humbert's serve for the first time in the match and began his comeback. The decisive rally ended with a Serbian forehand down the line.

After the match, 39-year-old Djokovic said he had been under pressure from his opponent from the first rally. He also noted that it was his first indoor match, so he expected some inconsistency given the difficult tournament draw. The tennis player called the result a big win for himself.

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Battle for the ATP Finals

This victory was Djokovic's 20th tour-level win this year. He reached at least 20 such victories for the 21st consecutive season of his career.

The Serb is ranked 11th in the Race to the ATP Finals in Turin, for which the year's top eight tennis players qualify. Before the start of the competition in Basel, he trailed Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who held the final qualifying position, by 319 points and also earned 50 points after winning his first match.

Djokovic won the Basel title in 2009, when he defeated Roger Federer. In October, he claimed his 102nd tour-level title in Beijing, ending a year-long trophy drought. In Basel, the Serb can draw level with Federer, who has 103 titles — the second-highest total in the Open Era.