(Tel-Aviv) Serbian Novak Djokovic (7e world) had to work against the Canadian Vasek Pospisil (149e) to beat him 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in 1 hour and 52 minutes, Friday in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 tournament in Tel Aviv.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
In the semi-final on Saturday, Djokovic, seeded N.1, will face the Russian Roman Safiullin (104e) who sharply beat Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech on Friday (58e), 6-4, 6-1.
The man with 21 Grand Slam titles had to fight in the first set, won in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7/5) in 59 minutes. The second set was less hung (6-3), the 35-year-old Serb taking twice the service of his opponent whom he had already met and beaten five times during his career.
After his new title at Wimbledon in July, Novak Djokovic had to give up American tournaments, including the United States Open, for lack of being vaccinated against COVID-19. He had not played an official match until the Laver Cup by teams, between Europe and the rest of the world, last week in London.