Doha: World No.4 Novak Djokovic won another gruelling battle here to continue his unbeaten start to the year and progress to the Qatar Open semifinals.
The Serb came from a set down, just like in his previous match, to beat Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match lasting almost two hours. Djokovic will play Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the semifinal, who beat three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
It was the first time Djokovic has won back-to-back matches from a set down since Cincinnati in August last year, a tournament he went on to win. As on the previous evening, where he struggled against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, the Serb started slowly.
He lost his first service game and never recovered the break as Basilashvili, the number five seed, powered by a blistering forehand took the first set. However, Djokovic’s fortunes changed in the second set when he broke the Georgian in the fifth game and slowly took control of the match.
Also through to the semifinals is Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic who brushed aside France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, one of the surprises of the tournament, 6-2, 6-4. Berdych is a former finalist in Doha, losing in 2015 to David Ferrer. The last semifinal spot went to Italy’s Marco Cecchinato who beat Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
