Djokovic Moves Within One Win of 100th Title After Advancing To Finals of Miami Open
Novak Djokovic is on the brink of achieving a monumental milestone as he advanced to the final of the Miami Open, downing Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 in a commanding performance. The victory puts Djokovic just one win away from his 100th career title, a feat only previously accomplished by legends Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
The match, which lasted only 69 minutes, showcased Djokovic’s dominance, as he improved his record to 13-1 against the Bulgarian. At 37 years old, Djokovic became the oldest man to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final, underscoring his enduring prowess on the court.
Facing Dimitrov in the oldest semifinal in Masters 1000 history—combined age of 70—Djokovic initially struggled, getting broken in his first service game. However, that would be the extent of his troubles as he maintained his perfect record in Miami semifinals.
Djokovic’s serve was a key weapon, with an impressive 87% of first serves made and five aces throughout the match. “The serve was again the highlight of the match for me,” he noted. “It was very windy today, very difficult to control the ball, but I had good serves and held my nerves.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Djokovic will face either Czech teenager Jakub Mensik or American third seed Taylor Fritz. The Serbian star expressed his eagerness to finally claim his 100th title, saying, “After the Olympics, which was the 99th title, every tournament I play in has been going for 100. I haven’t been able to achieve that. Hopefully Sunday, I’m going to go all in.”
Dimitrov, on the other hand, faced his tenth consecutive defeat against Djokovic. Reflecting on the match, he acknowledged the challenge of competing against such a formidable opponent. “He’s just doing the basics extremely well, better than anyone,” he said. “You just cannot let yourself take a step down or make an easy error.”
Adding to the excitement of the day, football superstar Lionel Messi was in attendance, watching the match after training nearby with Inter Miami. Djokovic expressed his admiration, stating, “It was a huge honor to have King Leo in the stands; it was the first time I have played in front of him.”
