Nole advanced in straights sets at ATP 250 event in Athens.
Top seed Novak Djokovic moved to within two wins of clinching his second title in 2025, when he powered past Nuno Borges 7-6 (1), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship on Friday.
The Serbian star battled through a tough opening set before breaking his rival in the seventh game of the second set to advance.
“It was a very physical battle. Nuno played a high level,” Djokovic said. “I was a bit surprised with how good he played. We went toe to toe, most of the match. Just a few points decided the winner tonight and he deserves a round of applause for his performance. I played a great tie-break in the first set. Not too many opportunities for both of us to break the serve of the other guy. That game was the only game I was able to break him.”
Match statistics: aces (9-7), double faults (1-1), winners (22-24), unforced errors (20-32), total points won (78-63).
Novak will next meet Yannick Hanfmann (GER, H2H 2-0). The semi-final clash is scheduled on Friday at 17:00 CET.
In the second semi-final showdown, Sebastian Korda (USA) will take on Lorenzo Musetti (ITA, 2).
Photo: Profimedia
