Novak Djokovic showcased his brilliance to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Miami Open with a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory over American Sebastian Korda. At 37, Djokovic became the oldest man to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final. The Serbian star started strong, breaking early to take control of the first set, which he never relinquished. Korda, however, fought back resiliently in the second set, pushing the match to a tie-break. But Djokovic, seeking his seventh Miami Open title and his first since 2016, held his nerve, sealing the win with a powerful ace.
Djokovic, who will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Friday, credited his serve as the key to his success after winning 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 groundstrokes much better."
A victory in Miami would mark Djokovic’s 100th singles title, a milestone for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. He expressed his delight at rediscovering his top form.
"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.
Meanwhile, Czech teenager Jakub Mensik reached his first Masters semi-final by defeating France’s Arthur Fils 7-6 (7/5), 6-1. Fils, who had stunned top seed Alexander Zverev earlier in the tournament, struggled to replicate that performance against the 19-year-old Mensik. The towering Czech’s powerful serve proved too much for Fils, who appeared fatigued after grueling three-set matches against Frances Tiafoe and Zverev.
"It feels incredible. I think the biggest result so far in my career, so I’m glad I just kept going since the first round," said Mensik.
"That’s the key, to keep the focus during the two weeks, because it’s always tough. The job is not done."
Mensik raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set but allowed Fils to claw back and force a tie-break. However, after surviving that scare, Mensik dominated the second set, wrapping up the match in 75 minutes.
Ranked 54th in the world, Mensik will next face American third seed Taylor Fritz, who triumphed in a thrilling encounter against Italian Matteo Berrettini, winning 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5. Berrettini saved six match points in the second set tie-break, but Fritz held his nerve in the decider, breaking at 6-5 and serving out the match.
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