Djokovic beat Anderson to win the UAE's Mubadala title

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World No.1 Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to beat Kevin Anderson 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to win a fourth Mubadala World Tennis Championship title in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday.

The serb claimed victory on a fifth match point against his South African opponent who won the pre-season exhibition tournament in 2018.

The 31-year-old Djokovic previously claimed the three-day event in the UAE in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and has now matched Rafael Nadal's record of four titles.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning the championship against South Africa's Kevin Anderson in Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

"I'm a bit tired. We weren't expecting to play two hours and 30 minutes just before the start of the season," said Djokovic who is building towards an assault on a possible seventh Australian Open title next month.

This year, Djokovic was voted as the European Sportsman of the Year by the Polish Press Agency that was voted on by agencies and journalists, followed by the Ballon d'Or football champion Luka Modric and Lewis Hamilton who ended third.

Djokovic had already won this award in 2011 and 2015. This year has seen him come back from his elbow injuries since mid-2016 and win Grand Slam titles.

Wimbledon and US Open champion Djokovic now heads to neighboring Doha where he will be top seed at the Qatar Open starting on Monday. He will take on Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur in his tournament opener.

World No.6 Anderson is top seed for the Maharashtra Open in Pune, India.

Source(s): AFP