Djokovic coasts into Athens semi-finals with Borges triumph

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Novak Djokovic breezed into the last four at the Athens Open with a straight-sets victory over Nuno Borges.

The Serbian had little difficulty on the indoor courts of Athens, claiming a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 victory in one hour and 44 minutes on Thursday (November 6).

Djokovic squandered three break-point opportunities in the opening set against the world number 47, who failed to muster much of a fightback in the tiebreak decider.

Former world number one Djokovic rallied around the crowd after taking a 6-1 lead in the first-set tie-break, and seemed to carry that momentum into the second, and final, set.

"It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played a high level," Djokovic said. "I was a bit surprised with how good he played.

"I think 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."

The 38-year-old's quest for a 101st ATP Tour title will continue when he meets either Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in the semi-finals on Friday.

Data Debrief: First-set dominance for Djokovic

Djokovic is now 29-0 after winning the first set in 2025, according to ATP's statistics team.

He is also just three titles shy of Roger Federer's 103 tour-level titles, and nine back from record-holder Jimmy Connors' 109 crowns.

Thursday's win also marked Djokovic's 200th triumph on the indoor courts, and he will hope to take that number to 202 before the week ends.