Novak Djokovic secured his position in the Miami Open semi-finals with a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory against American Sebastian Korda, setting a record as the most senior player to advance to a Masters 1000 semi-final.
At 37 years and 10 months, Djokovic has broken Roger Federer’s record of 37 years and 7 months.
The Serbian champion, aged 37, established control early in the match by securing a break point advantage in the first set. Korda displayed remarkable determination in the second set, forcing the competition into a tie-break situation.
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The fourth-seeded player, pursuing his seventh Miami Open championship and first since 2016, demonstrated his superiority once again, concluding the match with a decisive ace.
Djokovic, scheduled to compete against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Friday, attributed his triumph to his exceptional serving performance, having won 84% of his first-serve points.
“One word, serve. I was serving very well, probably the best serving performance, not just here, but in a long time,” he told reporters.
“Eleven aces, when I needed to find the first serve. It makes life easier on the court when you are feeling your serve. I needed it in the second set when I think Korda was feeling his ground strokes much better.”
Djokovic expressed satisfaction at regaining his peak form, as a triumph in Miami would mark a significant milestone – his 100th singles championship. The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s potential achievement would add another remarkable feat to his illustrious career.
“I am obviously playing the best tennis I have played in quite some time. It’s great when I experience tournaments like this and performances like this. It motivates me and encourages me to keep going for more,” he said.
The rising Czech star Jakub Mensik secured his maiden Masters semi-final appearance by defeating Arthur Fils of France 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Despite Fils’ remarkable victory against first-seeded Alexander Zverev the previous day, he found himself unable to maintain the same level of performance against the talented 19-year-old Mensik.
The tall Czech player’s powerful service proved decisive against Fils, who appeared fatigued following his demanding three-set contests against Frances Tiafoe and Zverev.
Mensik established an initial 4-1 advantage, but Fils mounted a comeback, with the 20-year-old French player managing to force a tie-break.
After weathering Fils’s resurgence, Mensik displayed unwavering consistency in the second set, securing the victory in 75 minutes.
World number 54 Mensik’s next opponent will be American third seed Taylor Fritz, who emerged victorious from an intense contest against Italian Matteo Berrettini, winning 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5.
Despite facing what appeared to be certain defeat in the second set tie-break at 6-3 down, Berrettini’s powerful serve and exceptional returns enabled him to extend the match to a final set. Berrettini successfully defended six match points in the second set.
The decisive set remained balanced with both players holding serve until Fritz, demonstrating strong baseline play, secured a break for 6-5 and subsequently closed out the match.
Pegula, Sabalenka to meet in women’s final
Alexandra Eala, the rising star from Philippines, concluded her impressive Miami Open journey following a hard-fought defeat to Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals on Thursday.
The fourth-seeded American Pegula secured her spot in Saturday’s final against world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a 7-6 (7/3) 5-7, 6-3 victory in an intense contest lasting 2hrs 24mins.
Prior to this tournament, the 19-year-old Eala, currently ranked 140th globally, had secured only two WTA main draw wins.
Her remarkable performance in Miami included victories over three Grand Slam champions: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and world number two Iga Swiatek.
Eala, who achieved the remarkable distinction of being the lowest-ranked player to reach the semi-finals in the tournament’s history, displayed exceptional skill and energy whilst attempting to advance further.
Despite Pegula gaining an advantage with a break to lead 3-1 in the second set, Eala responded with immediate determination, demonstrated by her confident fist pump and resolute expression.
The second set witnessed multiple service breaks, with Eala managing three breaks against Pegula’s two. Significantly, she maintained her composure to hold serve at 6-5, securing the set.
The final set featured improved serving from both competitors, but Eala’s forehand errors proved costly when the American secured a crucial break at 5-3. Pegula then closed out the match, showing visible signs of relief at her victory.
Sabalenka secured her spot in the final with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
The Belarusian completed her triumph against the sixth seed in just 71 minutes, and following her recent runner-up finish at Indian Wells earlier this month against Mirra Andreeva, she has now reached her first-ever Miami final.
“I’m super happy with the level I played today. Of course super happy to be in my first Miami Open final,” said Sabalenka.
Sabalenka maintained a consistent lead throughout her match with Paolini, with scores being level only at 1-1 in both sets. Her dominant performance included six aces and she successfully broke her Italian opponent’s serve on four occasions.
“I definitely would say that this was one of the best matches in the season so far. I don’t know. I was just so focused on myself, on the things I had to do today. It felt like everything was just going smoothly my way,” she said.
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