Flawless Djokovic downs Hurkacz to reach Dubai semi-finals
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[March 03, 2023]
(Reuters) -Novak Djokovic stayed on course for his third
title of 2023 by powering into the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis
Championships with a 6-3 7-5 win over Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday.
The 35-year-old Serbian won in Adelaide before sealing his 22nd
Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open while managing a hamstring
injury and has hit top form after a slow start in Dubai on his
return to the tour.
Having breezed through the first set on the back of a single break,
Djokovic found the going a bit tougher in the next as the
big-serving Hurkacz raised his game in search of a first win over
the world number one in their fifth meeting.
After a crucial hold from 0-30 down to draw level at 5-5, Djokovic
grabbed another break to heap the pressure on Hurkacz and the
five-times champion closed out the match on serve.
"It was a challenging match as it always is against Hubert,"
Djokovic said. "I think he's got one of the best serves in the game.
In the second set, until the 11th game I didn't have too many
chances against his serve.
"Fortunately for me, I also found the rhythm on my serve... one or
two points can decide the winner in matches like these.
"I'm really glad with the way I played under pressure."
Up next for Djokovic is a meeting with former world number one
Daniil Medvedev, who beat Borna Coric 6-3 6-2.
Alexander Zverev earlier reached his first semi-final since last
year's French Open with a 7-5 6-4 win over Lorenzo Sonego.
The seventh seed has had a torrid time after injuring his ankle at
Roland Garros and undergoing surgery, only returning to the ATP tour
in December after suffering a bone edema problem during his
rehabilitation.
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ATP 500 - Dubai Tennis Championships -
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates -
March 2, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his
quarter final match against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz REUTERS/Amr
Alfiky
"It's been a very difficult time for me over the
last nine months," world number 16 Zverev said. "I haven't played
tennis at all for such a long period for the first time in my life.
"It definitely shows that the hard work is paying off and I'm
extremely happy with my progress and how I'm playing right now. I'm
happy to be in my first semi-final since the injury.
"Hopefully it won't be my last and hopefully there's much more to
come here."
Zverev next plays defending champion Andrey Rublev after the
combustible Russian overcame a late wobble to get past Botic van de
Zandschulp 6-3 7-6(3).
Zverev has won each of their five meetings, including their last one
in the 2021 Cincinnati final.
"It's going to be tough," Rublev said. "I have to play good,
aggressive tennis."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
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