WATCH: Novak Djokovic commends Andrey Rublev for ATP Finals victory over compatriot and former champion Daniil Medvedev

Novak Djokovic commended Andrey Rublev for kickstarting his 2022 ATP Finals campaign with a victory over compatriot and former tournament champion Daniil Medvedev.

The Russian, who had confessed to feeling out of place in the Red Group that is stacked with former champions - was promptly commended by five-time ATP Finals champion Djokovic while on his way to the locker room.

"Very smooth," the Serb was heard saying during his run-in with the former World No. 5.

Rublev made a turbulent start in his match against Medvedev, dropping a break advantage over his compatriot during the deciding moments of the opening set and failing to convert seven set point opportunities to gift the set to the former World No. 1.

He, however, made a quick recovery in the second set to force a decider and then held his nerve in the third-set tiebreaker to seal the deal on his fifth match point. With the 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7) win, the 25-year-old bettered his record against Medvedev, scoring his second consecutive win after four initial losses.

Rublev himself was pumped about the significant win and remarked that he wouldn’t have been able to close out such an intense encounter in the past.

"After the first set, being 5-2 up, having seven set points, 6-2 in the tiebreak, not being able to win a set - I think never happened to me (before)," he said.

"Normally after something like that, I don't think I would win a match. Being able to turn around a match and win not only like second and third set, but win third set on a tiebreak 9-7, being against 6-3 up, this is something that’s never happened to me," he added.

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Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic set to clash in ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic in action against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2022 ATP Finals.

Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic have met twice before, the first being at the 2021 ATP Finals, where the Serb dismissed the youngster 6-3, 6-2. Their second meeting was in the finals of this year’s Serbia Open, where Rublev defeated the home favorite 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-0 to clinch the title.

The duo, who are placed in the Red Group at the ATP Finals, will clash on Wednesday in their respective second fixture at the tournament. While the Russian was able to overcome his compatriot in his opening encounter, the Serbian scored his fourth win of 2022 over World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, defeating the Greek 6-4, 7-6(4).

Rublev and Djokovic will now fight to top the leaderboard in the Red Group and potentially secure their place in the last four to compete in the knockout stage of the ATP Finals.