Novak Djokovic stepped up his quest for a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title on Wednesday as he overpowered Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals in Turin.
The Serbian demonstrated great agility to hang in points in the quick indoor conditions to frustrate the sixth seed, soaking up Rublev's powerful forehand during the first set.
The former World No. 1 also shot his watertight backhand with the finest depth to dominate baseline exchanges, claiming just six unforced errors to seal his 43rd victory of the season in 68 minutes.
"I played very, very well. One of the best matches of the year without a doubt. He is a tough opponent. A great competitor. He possesses a lot of strengths in his game. I managed to find the right attitude and the right game," ATP.com quoted Djokovic as saying.
"In the 10th game of the first set, I think he was 40/30 and we played a long rally and I just stayed in there and told myself chances will come. He went down in his energy a little in the second [set] and I wanted to use the momentum and energy from my side in the first few games and it was a flawless second set," he added.
The Serbian will next face Daniil Medvedev in his final round-robin match on Friday. Djokovic will be aiming to tie Roger Federer's record six titles at the ATP Finals.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor