Djokovic, with the cap

Almost without disheveled and with his cap on, Novak Djokovic stood this Friday in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open after beating Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-4 in a game that resembled a training session and lasted only 81 minutes. The Serbian has hardly worn down so far in the tournamentsince in the second round he dropped Gael Monfils 6-3 and 6-2 in 1h28 and did not have to play the round of 16 match against Andy Murray, because the British resigned due to illness.

“It’s not that easy, the conditions were different from the last match. There was a lot more bounce, more heat, and that affects everyone’s game,” Djokovic said.who will seek a place in the final against the winner of the Navy derby, Rafa Nadal or Carlos Alcarazwith less than three hours on track (2h49). “Yes, I will watch the game, but more relaxed because I have already won. One thing is certain, that tomorrow I play against a Spanish player,” he said.

It is the seventh time that the number one in the world reaches the penultimate round of the Spanish Masters 1,000, of which he has been champion three times (2011, 2016 and 2019), He already has 72 in the category, only behind Nadal’s 76. Nor is it the best dreams of him, I would have expected Djokovic Such a placid Mutua, considering that he has only played ten games in 2022 (7-3) and that he lost the final in Belgrade a few days ago, with a Rublev donut in the third set.

amazing ease

Hurkacz was never able to lose respect for a rival who has beaten him, with this one, four times and in important events. This time he did not win a set, as he did at Wimbledon 2019 and last year in Paris. On land, Nole is far superior to him. In the first set he only let the rest win five points (eight in the second), he broke serve to make it 2-0 and kept the advantage. In the second round, Djokovic scored the break for 3-2 and also resisted until the end without too much trouble, without facing a break ball. “I’m happy and satisfied to have kept my serve, with a lot of concentration, it’s fine,” he said.