Novak Djokovic is one step closer to his seventh Miami Open title, overcoming Sebastian Korda in straight sets to reach the semi-finals in Florida.
Their quarter-final match, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed to Thursday due to scheduling delays. Djokovic defeated Korda 6-3, 7-6 in 82 minutes.
Djokovic dominated the end of the first set, winning the last 12 points. In the second set, he recovered from a 5-2 deficit to win in a tie-break, securing his place in the semi-finals against Grigor Dimitrov.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has become the oldest player to reach the ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals, surpassing Roger Federer. Djokovic aims to win this event for the first time since 2016.
“I am very relieved I won in straight sets,” Djokovic mentioned. “I was quite nervous to be honest, because Korda is unpredictable.”
“He’s very aggressive, talented, and can hit any shot. I was under pressure, and it was a tense match.”
Czech teenager Jakub Mensik continued his impressive run, defeating Arthur Fils 7-6, 6-1. He will face Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. Fritz overcame Matteo Berrettini 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5, despite missing six match points in the second set.
Regarding the missed opportunities in the second set, Fritz said, “There are two options: get frustrated, lose, and be even more frustrated about the chances I missed, or regroup and win. Now I can sleep tonight.”
Sabalenka to Face Pegula in Women`s Final
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka easily reached the women`s final, defeating sixth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2.
Sabalenka only needed 72 minutes to defeat the Italian player, leading throughout the match and breaking her serve four times in a dominant performance.
Sabalenka, who is in her fourth WTA Tour final this season, will play against fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Pegula defeated teenage wild card Alexandra Eala 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3.
Pegula came back from 5-2 down to win the first set and was leading in the second set before her 19-year-old opponent leveled the match, even after twisting her ankle.
Pegula eventually won the deciding set in a match that finished after midnight. Pegula jokingly wrote `I`m tired` on the camera lens after her victory.
Looking ahead to the final against Sabalenka, Pegula commented, “It’s great to know I can win these important matches under pressure. Aryna is one of the best at this. It will be a tough match.”
Eala, from the Philippines, had an amazing run to the semi-finals, defeating three Grand Slam champions: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.
