Djokovic triumphs on Australian return (VIDEO)

The Serbian star claimed his 92nd tour-level win in Adelaide

Novak Djokovic claimed his first singles title of the year early on Sunday when he survived a championship point against American Sebastian Korda to win his 92nd tour-level crown at the Adelaide International.

But the Serb, a hot favorite entering this month’s Australian Open, certainly didn’t have it all his own way. He was forced to come back from the brink of defeat in the second set to ultimately claim the win by 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4 in a mammoth encounter which clocked in at over three hours.

Djokovic, perhaps feeling the effects of an injury to his left leg which bothered him during Saturday’s semifinal win against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, praised Korda’s effectiveness from the baseline afterwards, with the American’s gameplan seemingly designed to test the Serb’s mobility from distance.

Indeed, Korda’s fearless play nearly delivered the biggest win of his career at 5-6 in the second set. However, even after gaining a 30-40 foothold, he was unable to dispatch Djokovic, who eventually powered his way through a tiebreaker and into a deciding third set.

With momentum on his side, Djokovic withstood any further attempts at a fightback and broke Korda’s serve at 5-4 in the decider, ending the American’s resistance.

TITLE NO. 92!