Novak Djokovic once again engraved his name in a history book. The 37-year-old Serbian superstar surpassed Roger Federer’s previous record and became the oldest ATP Master 1000 semi-finalist in history. In 37 years and 10 months, Djokovic continues to resist expectations, proving that age is merely a number in his pursuit of merciless greatness.
Djokovic secured his place in the Miami Open semi-finals with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over American Sebastian Korda. The match, postponed from Wednesday, saw his illicit best Yokovic, whom he dominated a key moment with accuracy and strength. The fourth seed scored an astounding 84% of his first service points, dropping one point on his first delivery in the opening set.
Turn the clock back
Despite facing a 5-3 deficit behind 3-0 in the second set, Djokovic showed his legendary resilience. Turning his back against the wall, he engaged in an extended rally to raise the game and force an error from the Korda. His ability to remain composed under pressure made a difference once again. On the tiebreaker, Djokovic’s signature clutch performance occurred, sealing the match with a strong ace.
Looking back at his victory, Djokovic acknowledged the importance of his serve.
“As good as you can feel about your serve,” he said. “We serve incredible tournaments. Sebastian let me run, so that was what I needed today. He played great tennis from the baseline.”
The victory improved Djokovic’s 2-0 head over Korda, bringing the only other meeting to appear in the 2023 Adelaide Finals, making Djokovic a dramatic comeback.
Getting one step closer to history
The victory moved Djokovic to the eighth Miami semi-finals, taking a record 79th place at the Masters 1000 level. Now, with just two wins since winning his seventh Miami Open title, he is also taking part in the cusp of the 100th Tour-level trophy.
Intruding him is Grigor Dimitrov, a familiar enemy that Djokovic ruled in his previous encounter, leading the series 12-1. The Serbs will continue his momentum and will try to add yet another milestone to his illustrious career.
Elsewhere in the tournament, American Taylor Fritz survived a rollercoaster match against Matteo Berettini, overcoming six wasted match points to score 7-5, 6-7 (7), 7-5. Fritz is currently facing rising Czech star Jakub Mensik.
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