The self-belief of Novak Djokovic remains as strong as ever if the words of his beaten Miami Open semi-final opponent Grigor Dimitrov are anything to go by. On Friday, the Serbian moved to within one win of his 100th career title when he outclassed the Bulgarian 6-2 6-3 to set up a clash with teenager Jakub Mensik.
Djokovic dominated throughout and wrapped up the win in a little over an hour. At 37, he’s now the oldest player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final and will head into Sunday’s clash as the overwhelming favourite. Afterwards, a humbled Dimitrov paid tribute to his rival, who has now beaten him 13 times in 14 matches.
Praising the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s display, he said Djokovic “wears confidence like a stain on your shirt.” The icon seemed to appreciate the compliment and returned the favour by lauding the character of the 33-year-old.
“Very grateful to hear something like that coming from someone that I really respect as a player but even more than a player, as a person,” he said. “Someone that I consider a friend, a guy I really love spending time with off the court as well.”
The match between the two was the oldest semi-final in Masters 1000 history, with a combined age of 70. Djokovic will be part of another new marker tonight, with him and Mensik boasting the biggest age gap ever in a Miami Open final.
The tournament in Florida has also signified a return to form for Djokovic following the hamstring injury which forced him to withdraw from his Australian Open semi-final with Alexander Zverev. Since regaining fitness, he’s suffered first-round exits in events in Qatar and Indian Wells.
He’s now aiming for a first title since claiming the one major honour that had previously eluded him in his elite career, Olympic gold in Paris last summer. And he admitted the prospect of a century had motivated him during his injury layoff.
“Ever since I won my 99th, which was the Olympic Games in Paris, I’ve been playing with the prospect of winning the special 100 titles,” said Djokovic. “I’ve been trying to find that necessary and much-needed level of tennis that will put me in a position to fight for a trophy.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk