Djokovic rallies past Vacherot, sets Paris age record

Novak Djokovic came from a set down to defeat Valentin Vacherot in the Paris Masters first round on November 3, keeping his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive and becoming the oldest player to win a match at the tournament. The 39-year-old Serbian won 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 in Paris. The match lasted about two hours and 35 minutes, according to reports of the contest. Djokovic trailed after Vacherot took a tightly contested opening-set tiebreak. He recovered in the second set, then pulled away in the third to complete the comeback against the 27-year-old from Monaco. The victory moved Djokovic past Jimmy Connors, who had held the Paris Masters age record after winning a match there in 1991 at 39. The result also kept Djokovic in contention for a place at the eight-player ATP Finals in Turin. He was 11th in the live Race to Turin standings after the win. Reports described the precise route to qualification differently, but agreed that he remains in the race. Djokovic has said he intends to play the year-end event if he qualifies. After the match, Djokovic said he was not at his freshest physically and had struggled to read Vacherot’s powerful serve for much of the first half....