04. 11. 2011. ·
Photo: Getty Images
Nole is only one win away from defending the finals in Basel.
Djokovic made it through to the last four after defeating Marcos Baghdatis 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 at the Swiss Indoors today.
The top-seeded Serb needed 1 hour and 38 minutes to beat the 59-ranked (former world no.8) Cypriot.
Novak couldn’t find his rhythm at the beginning of the quarter-final match. He was broken twice in the opening set, in the first and seventh games, Baghdatis won it 6-2 in 29 minutes.
The 24-year-old Belgrade native recovered from losing the first set and stepped up his performance in the second.
The Cypriot started making more errors, his serve let him down and Novak used his chances in the sixth and eighth games to level the match at one set all.
The 2009 titlist and last year’s runner-up took the momentum into the third set. A break in the second game was enough for him to wrap up the set and match 6-3.
“I started slowly, no life on the court, and he took his chances,” said Novak, playing his first tournament after a six-week break to heal a back injury.
“My body is still getting used to this competition mode. I have to stay patient. It’s nothing I didn’t expect, but I’m winning matches and that is what matters most.”
Nole now has a 6-0 career H2H record against Baghdatis. He improved to fantastic 67-3 this year.
The world no.1 will face Japanese wild card Kei Nishikori on Saturday for a place in his 12th final in 2011.
Nishikori eliminated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in three sets earlier today. Nole won their only previous match, at Roland Garros 2010, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
