Novak Djokovic successfully qualified for the semifinals at the Masters tournament in Paris on Friday. The world number 1 convincingly dealt with the American Taylor Fritz.
The 34-year-old Djokovic triumphed within fifteen minutes in two sets: 6-4 and 6-3. The Serb plays in the semi-final against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz.
“I am pleased with the way I played against Fucsovics and today I did have ups and downs,” Djokovic said.
“I am not really pleased with the way I closed out the sets. I lost my serve to love, then at 5-3, again, I served for it with new balls and lost to love again.
“Those kinds of things shouldn’t happen, I know that. I backed myself up with good returns and read Taylor’s serve very well to get into rallies. I closed out the last couple of service games well and that’s a positive.” he added.
Hurkacz defeated Australian James Duckworth in three sets: 6-2, 6-7 (4) and 7-5. He secured himself as the eighth and last player to participate in the ATP Finals, which start on November 14 in Turin.
It is Djokovic’s first tournament since the lost final of the US Open on September 12. Djokovic won the Masters tournament in Paris five times: in 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019.
In the other semifinal, the Russian Daniil Medvedev will face the German Alexander Zverev. Second-seeded title holder Medvedev defeated qualifier France’s Hugo Gaston in two sets: 7-6 (7) and 6-4.
“It was a tough match, I have to say, in front of a very difficult crowd Hugo played very well, he’s very good,” Medvedev said.
“He’s able to put spin on the ball and to also have drop shots on the same ball. You never know what he’s about to do, so it’s not easy for your footwork.” Medvedev added.
