Paris: Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer on Saturday in a Paris Masters semi-final that he described as “one of the best matches” between the long-time rivals to extend his winning run to 22 outings.

The Serb, who will replace Rafael Nadal as world No. 1 on Monday, outlasted Federer in just over three hours to prevail 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3).

Djokovic has won his last four meetings with Federer and now leads the Swiss 25-22 overall, having not lost to the 20-time Grand Slam champion since 2015. “We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” said Djokovic.