Djokovic nears 100th title after gritty semifinal win
GENEVA: Novak Djokovic is one step away from joining an exclusive club in men’s tennis history. With a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory over British qualifier Cameron Norrie on Friday at the Gonet Geneva Open, the Serbian legend moved within one win of his 100th career tour-level title.
Djokovic, the No. 2 seed, dominated on serve throughout the two-hour, 15-minute semifinal, firing 11 aces to Norrie’s three and winning 86.5% of his first-serve points. Despite dropping a tight second-set tiebreak, the 24-time Grand Slam champion roared back in the third set to close out the match in style.
With Saturday’s final looming, Djokovic is on the cusp of becoming only the third player in the Open Era to reach the century mark in ATP titles, trailing only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
Awaiting Djokovic in the final is sixth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, who cruised past Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in just over an hour. Hurkacz was dominant on serve as well, winning nearly 88% of his first-serve points and remaining unbroken throughout the tournament.
However, the odds are stacked against the Pole—he holds an 0-8 career record against Djokovic. Still, with Djokovic chasing history and Hurkacz in peak form, the Geneva final promises high-quality tennis and the potential for a landmark moment in Djokovic’s legendary career.
