Novak Djokovic effortlessly dispatched Grigor Dimitrov to secure a spot in the Miami Open final for the first time since 2016, bringing him tantalizingly close to claiming his 100th ATP title.
Dimitrov, hailing from Bulgaria, did manage to break Djokovic’s serve in the opening game. However, the Serb, with his British coach Andy Murray observing, quickly recovered and broke back.
Ranked fifth in the world, the 37-year-old Djokovic powered through five consecutive games to clinch the first set.
Dimitrov stumbled out of the blocks in the second set, which allowed Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, to wrap up the match convincingly with a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Djokovic expressed his satisfaction to Sky Sports, saying, “Reaching the final without dropping a set feels great. I haven’t felt this good since last year’s Olympics.”
Despite the windy conditions, 33-year-old Dimitrov, seeded 14th, started on a high in what was the oldest ATP Masters 1,000 semi-final ever. He initially snatched a game from Djokovic’s serve but couldn’t maintain the momentum, allowing Djokovic to dominate and pocket the first set effortlessly.
A brief disturbance occurred when a fan was ejected for irritating Dimitrov, which seemed to unsettle him as the second set commenced slowly.
Dimitrov, who was the runner-up last year, managed to take three of his service games, but Djokovic’s superior play proved insurmountable.
The six-time Miami Open victor committed a mere five unforced errors compared to Dimitrov’s 32.
“There were some tight games towards the end,” Djokovic noted. “At 4-2, 30-30, he missed some crucial forehands, and in the last game, I delivered some strong serves with fresh balls.”
He added, “The wind was unpredictable, altering frequently. It made controlling the ball challenging. I aimed to extend rallies given Dimitrov’s clean hitting, knowing he would falter in such conditions. His first serve didn’t hold up as well as mine.”
At 37 years old and 10 months, Djokovic is not only the oldest semi-finalist in ATP Masters 1,000 history but now the oldest finalist too.
Awaiting him in Sunday’s final is either unseeded Czech Jakub Mensik or American Taylor Fritz, who are scheduled to compete in their semi-final later on Friday.
The match was attended by soccer legend Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami.
