World No 1 Novak Djokovic had to rally in both the first and second sets but managed to pull out a 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) victory over Dominic Thiem in first Madrid Open men’s semifinal.
The 31-year-old Djokovic, who has won the last three Grand Slam events (2018 Wimbledon, 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open) but struggled with his game in March and April, earned his best clay-court victory of the season in a match filled with grueling baseline rallies, Efe news reported.
The Serbian stayed calm throughout the match on Saturday and took advantage of the few opportunities he created against Thiem’s serve.