Novak Djokovic made history by becoming the oldest man to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final, defeating American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) at the Miami Open.
The 37-year-old Serb dominated the match, breaking early to take the first set. Korda showed resilience in the second set, taking the contest to a tie-break, but Djokovic’s powerful serve proved decisive, sealing the win with an ace.
Djokovic attributed his success to his serving, stating, “One word, serve. I was serving very well, probably the best serving performance, not just here, but in a long time.” He won 84% of his first-serve points, making life easier on the court.
Djokovic will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals on Friday. A victory at Miami would mark his landmark 100th singles title and 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Meanwhile, Czech teenager Jakub Mensik marched into his first Masters semi-final, defeating France’s Arthur Fils 7-6 (7/5), 6-1. Mensik’s big serve proved too much for Fils, who showed signs of tiredness after coming through three-set battles with Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Zverev.
Mensik will face American third seed Taylor Fritz, who came through an enthralling battle with Italian Matteo Berrettini, winning 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5. Fritz worked hard on the baseline to break and hold on for the win, despite Berrettini saving six match points in the second set.
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