Novak Djokovic put on a stellar display to secure his spot in the Miami Open semi-finals, defeating American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). With this victory, the 37-year-old Serbian star became the oldest player to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final.
Djokovic started strong, breaking Korda early to claim the first set. The second set was more competitive, with Korda pushing it to a tie-break. However, Djokovic held his nerve, sealing the win with a powerful ace.
The fourth seed, chasing his seventh Miami Open title and first since 2016, credited his serve for the win.
“One word, serve. This was probably my best serving performance in a long time,” Djokovic said, highlighting his 11 aces and 84% first-serve points won.
A Miami Open title would mark Djokovic’s 100th career singles title. He said he’s happy to be playing at his best again.
“I feel like I’m playing my best tennis in a while. Matches like this keep me motivated to go for more,” he added.
Djokovic will face Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals on Friday.
Teenage Sensation Mensik Reaches First Masters Semi
In another exciting match, 19-year-old Czech player Jakub Mensik booked his place in his first-ever Masters 1000 semi-final, beating France’s Arthur Fils 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Fils had stunned top seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round but struggled against Mensik’s powerful serve. The Czech teenager took control early, leading 4-1, but Fils fought back to force a tie-break. Mensik, however, stayed composed and dominated the second set to win in just 75 minutes.
“This is the biggest achievement of my career so far. I’m staying focused because the job is not done,” Mensik said.
He will now face American third seed Taylor Fritz, who edged past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 battle.
Berrettini showed resilience, saving six match points in the second set before forcing a decider. But Fritz finally broke through at 6-5 in the third set, sealing his place in the semi-finals.
