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IMAGE: Novak Djokovic celebrates successful his match within the quarter remaining towards Britain’s Cameron Norrie. {Photograph}: Jon Nazca/Reuters
Novak Djokovic steered Serbia into the Davis Cup semi-finals with a simple 6-4 6-4 win over Britain’s Cameron Norrie to present his staff a successful 2-0 lead on Thursday.
The 36-year-old world primary, trying to full a outstanding yr by serving to his nation win the Davis Cup for the second time, outclassed Norrie to change into his nation’s most profitable Davis Cup participant.
Serbia will face Italy on Saturday after Jannik Sinner impressed his staff to a comeback win over the Netherlands, the world quantity 4 successful his singles and a decisive doubles.
Britain, lacking the injured Andy Murray and Dan Evans, had banked on Jack Draper successful the opening singles towards Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic and their robust doubles partnership of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
However world quantity 55 Kecmanovic produced an excellent efficiency to beat Draper 7-6(2) 7-6(6) in a fierce battle.
Norrie then wanted to beat file 24-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic for the primary time in his profession to maintain the tie alive.
That by no means seemed seemingly, nonetheless, as Djokovic, who received three of the yr’s 4 Grand Slam titles and final week’s ATP Finals for a file seventh time, dissected the world quantity 18.
A single break of serve was sufficient for Djokovic within the opening set, the Serb silencing the raucous British followers with the scientific brilliance of his tennis.
IMAGE: Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in motion throughout his match within the quarter remaining towards Britain’s Jack Draper. Images: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
Norrie dropped serve early within the second set however held on grimly as he tried to stall Djokovic’s march.
ACE FLURRY
It was futile in the long run, although, as Djokovic wrapped it up with a flurry of aces to maintain Serbia heading in the right direction for a repeat of their 2010 triumph when Djokovic and his staff mates famously shaved off their hair after victory over France within the remaining.
Djokovic misplaced his cool with the Britain’s followers as they tried to drown out his post-match interview, telling them to “shut up and present some respect”.
“It is all the time an important emotion to play on your nation even when after an extended season you’re feeling it within the legs,” he added.
He now has a file 44 wins for Serbia within the competitors, surpassing Nenad Zimonjic.
Neither Kecmanovic or Djokovic confronted a single break level.
Earlier, within the Martin Carpena Area which has seen large crowds for Ultimate Eight, Italy stored alive their hopes of a primary Davis Cup title since 1976.
The Dutch moved forward as Botic van de Zandschulp received a titanic tussle towards Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(6) 6-3 7-6(7).
However the in-form Sinner, overwhelmed by Djokovic within the ATP Finals in Turin on Sunday, beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(3) 6-1 to ship the tie to a deciding doubles.
Sinner teamed up with Lorenzo Sonego to beat Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof 6-3 6-4 as Italy reached back-to-back semi-finals within the males’s staff competitors.
“It means quite a bit to me,” Sinner mentioned. “However extra importantly we’re by to the semi-finals. It is the primary time I can expertise this.”
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