Paris – Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic advances steadily in his quest for his twenty-fifth Grand Slam title, after defeating German Alexander Zverev, number three in the world, with partial scores of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-4. Now, Djokovic will face Italian Jannik Sinner, who holds the number one spot in the ranking, in search of a place in the final. At 38, Djokovic, who arrives as the sixth seed after a season of ups and downs, has nine consecutive victories, including the title in Geneva. His performance in Paris is notable, as he hasn’t lost since the 2022 quarterfinals against Rafa Nadal. In the 2023 edition, he was crowned champion and last year he withdrew before the quarterfinals due to an injury. Subsequently, he returned to the Parisian clay court to win his first Olympic gold, an achievement that completed his impressive record. Confidence seems to have returned to Djokovic, who will play his 51st semifinal in a Grand Slam tournament. His goal is to surpass the Australian Margaret Court and consolidate himself at the top of tennis history.
Experience vs. Youth
At the beginning of the season, Djokovic withdrew in the semifinals of the Australian Open against Zverev. However, in Paris, his experience was key to preventing the German from reaching his fifth consecutive semifinals at Roland Garros.
The match began with high intensity, with Zverev winning the first set. However, Djokovic managed to react and take the second set. As the match progressed, Djokovic demonstrated a better reading of the game, improving his returns and undermining his opponent’s morale.From the third set onwards, Zverev seemed to concede ground to Djokovic’s tactical play, who took seven consecutive games. The German couldn’t find a way to reverse the situation.
Djokovic demonstrated high-quality tennis, solidifying himself as a strong contender for the title, as long as he overcomes Sinner in their next match.
Sinner, the Next Challenge
Sinner, who has reached the Paris semi-finals for the second consecutive time, defeated Kazakh Alexander Bublik with a score of 6-1, 7-5 and 6-0, adding his nineteenth consecutive victory in a Grand Slam.
This will be the ninth encounter between Djokovic and Sinner, who are tied with four victories each. However, Sinner has won the last three matches, two of them last year. This clash promises to be an exciting duel between two players at their best, Sinner after recovering from a doping ban and Djokovic after a season with variable results.
