ATP Doha: Novak Djokovic overcomes stern Basilashvili test to reach semis
The two-time Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion and the world no. 1 Novak Djokovic was forced to work hard for the second day in a row against the big hitter, ousting Nikoloz Basilashvili 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in an hour 56 minutes for his 13th straight win in Doha. Just like Marton Fucsovics in the second round, Nikoloz was able to fire up his forehand and make the best possible start of the match before Djokovic found his range to take control in the rallies and bring the match home to stay on the title course. The Georgian improved his game by a mile in recent years and he had a stellar 2018 after winning two ATP 500 titles, entering the top-20 after Doha for the first time in his career.
With the bold and aggressive approach, Basilashvili dictated the points early on and he gave his best to overpower the toughest possible rival before Novak settled into a fine rhythm that crumbled the forehand of his opponent and drew him into more errors, forcing him to always play an extra ball. Novak won just six points more than his rival, producing the better numbers on the second serve and saving three out of six break points, breaking Nikoloz four times to grab the win and secure the place in the last four. The Georgian earned a break already in the first game when Novak netted a backhand and he created another break point in game three that Novak saved to stay in contention.
With no intentions to slow down, Nikoloz broke again in game five before Novak pulled one break back in the following game to end his downfall. That was the last big moment of the set and Basilashvili clinched the opening set with a service winner in game 10 after 41 minutes, doing almost everything right on the court and preparing the stage for a huge surprise. With a lot of work to be done in the rest of the match, Novak broke in the second game of the second set after a double fault from Nikoloz and he fends off a break point in the following game to cement the lead and gain the momentum.
Serving for the set at 5-3, Djokovic repelled a break point after an amazing rally and he landed an ace to cross the finish line and send the match into a decider. There, they traded breaks in the opening two games and Novak cracked Nikoloz's backhand in the fifth game for another break, sealing the deal with three winners in game 10 to pass another stern test.
Quarter-final results:
[1]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [5]Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 4-6 6-3 6-4
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2CMl5Zg
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