Novak Djokovic moved two wins away from securing his 100th career title after defeating Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the women’s final for the first time in her career with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, roared in celebration after sealing the match with an ace, while his former rival-turned-coach Andy Murray jumped from his seat in excitement. Despite trailing 5-2 in the second set, Djokovic broke Korda’s serve while the American was serving for the set at 5-3. The Serbian relied on his powerful and precise serves to turn the match around, clinching victory in a tense tiebreak.
“My serve has been great throughout the tournament, but today, I really needed it in the second set to fight back,” Djokovic told Tennis Channel. “In the tiebreak, a few key points made the difference—at 5-4, then a strong shot and an ace at 6-4 to seal the match.”
With this victory, Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, became the oldest player to reach the semifinals of an ATP Masters 1000 event, surpassing Roger Federer’s record. Federer had previously reached the Indian Wells and Miami semifinals at 37 years and seven months in 2019.
Originally scheduled for Wednesday, Djokovic’s match was postponed under ATP rules to prevent late-night finishes. The fourth seed will now face 14th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals on Friday, as he aims for a record-extending seventh Miami Open title and his 100th career trophy.
In another quarterfinal, unseeded Czech Jakub Mensik stunned France’s 17th seed Arthur Fils 7-6, 6-1 to book a semifinal clash against American Taylor Fritz, who battled past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 7-5, 6-7, 7-5. Fritz, the third seed, missed six break-point opportunities in the second set but capitalized on his seventh in the decider to secure the win.
Sabalenka and Pegula Set Up Women’s Final Clash
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance, winning 77% of her first-serve points, firing six aces, and saving all break points against her to cruise past Paolini in just 71 minutes. The Belarusian, who finished as runner-up at Indian Wells earlier this month, has yet to drop a set in her five Miami Open matches.
In the final, Sabalenka will face fourth seed Jessica Pegula, who ended the fairytale run of wildcard Alexandra Eala. Pegula battled past the 19-year-old Filipino sensation 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, overcoming a second-set comeback despite Eala rolling her ankle mid-match.
“It’s amazing to win these big matches under pressure and have a chance to fight for the title,” Pegula said after reaching her sixth career WTA 1000 final. “It’s going to be a tough battle against Aryna.”
Pegula showed resilience, rallying from 2-5 down to take the opening set. Though Eala, who had upset world No. 2 Iga Świątek earlier in the tournament, forced a decider, Pegula’s experience ultimately proved decisive. The match, which ended past midnight, left the 31-year-old American exhausted, prompting her to write “I’m dead” on a camera lens after the win.
Despite the loss, Eala received a standing ovation from the crowd, having defeated three former Grand Slam champions during her remarkable run in Miami.
