Djokovic Defeats Korda, Advances to Miami Semifinals

28 Mar at 11:05 am

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Djokovic Defeats Korda, Advances to Miami Semifinals/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Novak Djokovic overcame a second-set deficit to beat Sebastian Korda and secure a semifinal spot at the Miami Open. The 37-year-old Serbian is chasing his seventh title in Miami and 100th career title overall. He’ll face Grigor Dimitrov next, holding a dominant 12–1 record over the Bulgarian.

Sebastian Korda, left, and Novak Djokovic of Serbia shake hands at the end of their quarterfinal match during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Djokovic Rallies to Miami Semifinals as Pegula, Sabalenka Advance in Women’s Draw Quick Looks

Djokovic defeats Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to reach semifinals
Faces Grigor Dimitrov next; holds 12-1 head-to-head advantage
Djokovic seeks seventh Miami Open and 100th ATP title
Pegula outlasts Eala in dramatic three-set semifinal
Sabalenka dominates Paolini to reach women’s final
Teen Jakub Mensik reaches first ATP 1000 semifinal
Fritz survives Berrettini in three-set thriller

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Sebastian Korda during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Djokovic Defeats Korda, Advances to Miami Semifinals

Deep Look

Novak Djokovic showed flashes of his vintage form on Thursday, rallying from a break down in the second set to defeat American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) and book his spot in the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open. The win moves Djokovic one step closer to his record-extending seventh title in Miami and 100th career ATP trophy.

The quarterfinal, originally postponed late Wednesday due to time restrictions, was rescheduled after Jessica Pegula and Emma Raducanu’s women’s match ran late. Under new ATP rules, the Djokovic-Korda contest could not start past midnight.

Once on court, Djokovic needed just 84 minutes to seal the win. He roared back from 1-4 and 2-5 deficits in the second set, relying on clinical serving and elite shot selection to force a tiebreaker. Djokovic closed out the match with an ace, boasting an 83% first-serve success rate and punctuating the win by mimicking a violin with his racket.

“One word — serve,” Djokovic said. “It was one of my best serving performances in a long time. I feel I’m playing my best tennis in a while.”

A Familiar Semifinal Opponent

Next up for Djokovic is Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, who reached the Miami final in 2024. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 12–1.

All six of Djokovic’s previous Miami titles came at the tournament’s old home in Key Biscayne, but the world No. 1 is finding his rhythm again at Hard Rock Stadium after an early 2025 filled with setbacks, including an injury retirement at the Australian Open and a disappointing loss at Indian Wells.

Women’s Draw: Pegula vs. Sabalenka Final Set

On the women’s side, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula advanced to the final after surviving a spirited effort from 19-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. Pegula won a grueling 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 contest that stretched late into the night, finishing at 12:40 a.m. Friday.

Eala, the breakout star of the tournament, had knocked out Grand Slam winners including Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, and Jelena Ostapenko on her way to the semis. Her performance Thursday showed creativity, grit, and shot variety well beyond her years — but Pegula’s resilience ultimately prevailed.

Eala served for the first set at 5-3 but faltered with back-to-back double faults and a costly unforced error on set point. Pegula capitalized, ran off eight straight points, and never looked back in the tiebreaker. Though Eala bounced back to win the second set after receiving a medical timeout for a rolled ankle, she couldn’t maintain her level into the third.

Pegula now faces top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final — a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Open final, which Sabalenka won.

Sabalenka Cruises to the Final

Sabalenka had a far smoother route, dispatching No. 6 Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 in just 71 minutes. Paolini, a 2024 French Open finalist, was often left smirking at Sabalenka’s powerful and precise shot-making.

“I was really focused and everything went smoothly,” Sabalenka said post-match. She has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Men’s Side: Mensik and Fritz Advance

In the day’s first men’s quarterfinal, 19-year-old Jakub Mensik continued his Cinderella run by defeating No. 17 seed Arthur Fils 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. The Czech teenager, ranked No. 54, advances to his first ATP 1000 semifinal, becoming one of the youngest semifinalists in Miami Open history.

Mensik will face third-seeded Taylor Fritz, who outlasted Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in a dramatic three-set battle: 7-5, 6-7 (9-7), 7-5. Fritz missed six match points in the second set but regrouped to win in 2 hours, 44 minutes.