Novak Djokovic showcased exceptional form as he secured his spot in the semifinals of the Miami Open with a convincing 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory against American player Sebastian Korda, thus becoming the most senior competitor to advance to a Masters 1000 semis match.

The 37-year-old Serbian player began impressively against Korda by securing an early break, which gave him control of the first set that he maintained throughout. However, Korda demonstrated remarkable determination in the second set, forcing the match into a tie-breaker.

However, the fourth-seed player, aiming for their seventh Miami Open championship but their first since 2016, once more displayed resilience, clinching victory with a dominant serve.

After securing 84% of his first-serve points, Djokovic, set to play against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Friday, confidently pointed out the factor behind his victory.

“One word: serve. I performed exceptionally well in serves, likely the best serving display not only today but for quite some time,” he stated to the press.

Eleven aces came at just the right moment for my first serves. Feeling confident with my serve definitely made things smoother on the court, particularly during the second set when Korda seemed more comfortable with his groundstrokes.

Winning in Miami would mark his 100th singles title, a significant milestone for the two dozen Grand Slam winner, and he expressed happiness about returning to form at an elite level.

“I’m clearly enjoying my best form in tennis recently. Participating in such tournaments and delivering these kinds of performances is fantastic. This boosts my motivation and pushes me to aim for even greater achievements,” he stated.

The Czech teenager Jakub Mensik advanced to his inaugural Masters semifinal after outplaying France’s Arthur Fils with scores of 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.

Filip enjoyed a significant victory earlier in the week by defeating top-seeded Alexander Zverev. However, he found it challenging to replicate this success against the talented 19-year-old Mensik.

The imposing Czech player’s powerful serves were overwhelming for Fils, who had previously managed to win tough three-set matches against Frances Tiafoe and Zverev, but now appeared fatigued.

“It’s amazing. This has been the most significant outcome in my career up until now, so I’m really pleased that I persisted from the initial round onwards,” stated Mensik.

The crucial part is maintaining concentration over those two weeks since it’s always challenging. The work isn’t finished yet.

Mensik took an early 4-1 advantage but allowed Fils to return to the match as the 20-year-old Frenchman pushed for a tiebreaker.

But having survived that comeback from Fils, Mensik was rock solid in the second set as he powered his way to victory in 75 minutes.

Mensik, who holds the 54th rank globally, will now go up against American third-seed Taylor Fritz, after he secured victory over Italian Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling match with scores of 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5.

When Berrettini fell behind 6-3 in the second-set tiebreak, it seemed like he was out of options. However, his powerful serves along with remarkable return shots kept him alive for a third decisive set. Throughout this intense phase, Berrettini managed to save an impressive six match points during the second set.

The match was neck and neck as both players struggled to break each other’s serves until Fritz, consistently pushing from the baseline, managed to secure a crucial break at 6-5. He then held his ground to clinch the victory.

“I clearly created numerous opportunities for myself during the game. It’s just too bad I couldn’t capitalize on them in the second set,” stated Fritz.

I believe I made things very difficult for myself. In the third set, he stepped up his game and performed exceptionally well, so I had to put inextra effort to secure the victory in that set and elevate my own performance.

Despite failing to close it out and missing those match points, I believe I demonstrated one of my strongest qualities by recovering and managing to win the third set.

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