Novak Djokovic put on a dominant display Friday to advance to the Miami Open final, defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3. The Serbian star, at 37, became the oldest man to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final as he pursued a landmark 100th career title, MySportDab reports.
Djokovic improved his head-to-head tally over Dimitrov to 13-1 and completed the contest in 69 minutes. With the two players’ combined age 70, the semi-final was the oldest in Masters 1000 history.
Despite the blustery conditions, Djokovic’s serve proved an indispensable weapon again, with 87 percent of his first serves going in and five aces fired.
“My serve and composure made the difference because the ball was very difficult to control,” said Djokovic. “I hope I can continue with this level in the final.”
His comeback to form follows a slow start to the season, and he is eager to pocket his 100th title after missing out on numeorus opportunities to do so after claiming his 99th at the 2023 Paris Masters. “Since the Olympics, I’ve been chasing this milestone in every tournament. Hopefully, it will be Sunday,” he said.
In the other semi-final, the 18-year-old Jakub Mensik upset Taylor Fritz 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a teasing and grueling baseline battle.
The 26-year-old Czech, a first-time Masters 1000 finalist, hammered down 25 aces and stayed strong in two tie-breaks to record the biggest victory of his career.
Mensik, who fell to Djokovic in their only prior meeting in Shanghai last year, now must face the ultimate test in Sunday’s final.
