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Djokovic saved four set points in the opener
against Croatia's Borna Coric to win 7-6(11) 6-3 to reach the
third round of the Erste Bank Open in the Austrian capital.
The win meant that the 17-times Grand Slam winner could only be
stopped from tying Pete Sampras' record of finishing as year end
No.1 for the sixth time if Rafael Nadal accepts a wild card in
competing in Sofia next month.
The 19-year-old Sinner won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019 and
is currently at a career-high ranking of 43, having reached his
maiden Grand Slam quarter final at this month's French Open.
"I definitely see a lot of quality in the young players," said
Djokovic. "(Sinner) definitely possesses a game that is powerful
and is with a lot of quality, and you can say he has the
potential to be a top player of the world.
"Sinner is definitely, I would say, the leader of the guys
younger than (Alexander) Zverev and (Stefanos) Tsitsipas, who I
think by many experts' opinions the next 'top' top player."
German Zverev, aged 23, reached the U.S. Open final in New York
and is a year older than Greek Tsitsipas and they have won the
previous two editions of the season-ending ATP Finals, the
biggest event in men's tennis outside the Slams.
Djokovic felt the duo are already established players and would
need to sustain their performances over a period to wrest the
top ranking.
"Many things have to come together in a career and life of a
tennis player in order for him to be able to find his best and
maximise his potential and to thrive every single year,"
Djokovic said.
"And to endure, because I think you have a much better chance to
have a great Grand Slam or a great season. But can you endure
for three, four, five, 10 years? Fifteen years?"
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Michael
Perry)
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