(Dubai) Novak Djokovic remained unbeaten this season after beating Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championship on Thursday.
Djokovic, who has triumphed five times in his career in Dubai, has also recorded a 20e straight win. He will face ex-world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, who easily ousted Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2.
Djokovic is playing his first tournament since winning the Australian Open, earning a 22 in the processe career Grand Slam title. The 35-year-old Serb suffered a slight muscle tear in his leg en route to winning his 10e title at Melbourne Park.
The Djoker improved to 15-0 this season, and he has not suffered defeat since losing to Holger Rune in the Paris Masters final last November. He followed that up by winning the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
Defending Dubai champion Andrey Rublev will face Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final.
Rublev reached the four aces by beating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 7-6 (3). Zverev beat Félix Auger-Aliassime scorer Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4.
It will be Zverev’s first semi-final since the French Open last June, when he injured his right ankle in a match against Spaniard Rafael Nadal. He had undergone an operation a few days later to repair some damaged ligaments.
Rublev, a 25-year-old Russian who is ranked sixth in the world, reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive year.