Djokovic reaches Miami Open semis
Sports
He is two wins away from capturing a 100th career title
MIAMI (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic is two wins away from capturing a 100th career title after beating Sebastian Korda 6-3 7-6(4), and world number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into her first Miami Open final with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Thursday.
Djokovic let out a triumphant roar after sending down an ace on match point as the 37-year-old's former rival and now coach Andy Murray jumped out of his seat to do the same.
The Serbian 24-times Grand Slam champion trailed Korda 5-2 in the second set but broke the American as he served at 5-3 and his precise and powerful serving carried him to the finish.
"I've been serving great the entire tournament but particularly today I needed it in the second to try to come back," Djokovic told Tennis Channel.
"In the tiebreak, a couple of points really decided the winner, 5-4 service winner, ace at 6-4 to finish off the match. So I'll take that as the highlight."
Victory ensured that Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist, surpassing Roger Federer, who made the final four at Indian Wells and Miami aged 37 years and seven months in 2019.
The match was originally scheduled for Wednesday but postponed under ATP rules aimed at avoiding matches dragging on into the early hours of the morning.
Fourth seed Djokovic, gunning for a record seventh Miami Open title, will face 14th-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals on Friday.
Unseeded Czech Jakub Mensik was a 7-6(5) 6-1 winner over 17th-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils and will meet American Taylor Fritz in the semis after he outlasted Italian 29th seed Matteo Berrettini 7-5 6-7(7) 7-5.
Third seeded Fritz saw six match points come and go in the second set but converted on his seventh opportunity in the decider to put away Berrettini.
Two former power houses of world soccer, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini, were cleared of corruption charges on Tuesday.
"There's two options, get frustrated about it, lose and then be even more frustrated about all the chances I blew, or regroup and get the win," Fritz said.
"Now I can sleep tonight."
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