Novak Djokovic marked his 38th birthday with a gritty victory at the Gonet Geneva Open, defeating Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. The second-seeded Serb bounced back from a 1-4 deficit in the second set, winning five straight games to close out the match in one hour and 40 minutes.
The win comes as sweet revenge for Djokovic, who lost to Arnaldi last month at the Madrid Masters. “It’s great to be in the semi-finals again,” said Djokovic. “Hopefully this year I can go at least a step further. That’s the goal.”
Despite the straight-sets win, the match was tighter than the score suggests. Djokovic had a scare in the second set, clutching his right knee after stretching for a forehand. The former World No. 1 had surgery on the same knee last year, but he showed no signs of slowing down, breaking Arnaldi’s serve at 5-4 and sealing the win with confidence.
The victory evens Djokovic’s head-to-head record with Arnaldi at 1-1 and puts him just two wins away from a historic 100th ATP title. Only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) have reached that milestone in the Open Era.
Next up for Djokovic is qualifier Cameron Norrie. The British left-hander defeated fifth seed Alexei Popyrin 7-6(6), 6-4 to reach his ninth clay-court semi-final and his first since Rio de Janeiro in 2024.
In the bottom half of the draw, Hubert Hurkacz continued his strong form by beating top seed Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6(5). The Polish star served impressively, winning 39 of 45 first-serve points and saving all three break points. Hurkacz, who won the Estoril title last year, came from 1/3 down in the second-set tiebreak and clinched the match with an ace.
“Thanks to everyone for coming out,” Hurkacz told the Geneva crowd. “It may not be the best weather, but your support means a lot.”
Hurkacz will now face Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner. The World No. 128 fought back to defeat fourth seed Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ofner will be chasing his second ATP final after finishing runner-up in Mallorca last year.
Related topics:
