Novak Djokovic admits he made two mistakes in the Miami Open quarter-final against Sebastian Korda despite winning
Novak Djokovic Reflects on Miami Open Quarter-Final Victory Over Sebastian Korda
Novak Djokovic has advanced to the semi-finals of the Miami Open, overcoming a tough challenge from American Sebastian Korda. The 37-year-old Serbian secured a straight-sets victory, but he admitted to making two key mistakes during the match.
Facing World No. 25 Korda for the first time since the 2023 Adelaide International final, Djokovic found himself in a competitive battle. Despite moments of struggle, his serving proved to be a standout factor in his success.
Djokovic Highlights Two Mistakes in Win Over Korda
Djokovic delivered what was arguably his best serving performance of the tournament, landing an impressive 83% of first serves and winning 84% of those points. However, despite these strong numbers, he found himself in trouble during the second set when Korda served for the set at 5-3. The Serbian clawed his way back to force a tiebreak and ultimately won 6-3, 7-6(4).
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic admitted he was too passive in key moments, allowing Korda to dictate play:
“I am feeling very relieved that I won in straight sets, to be quite frank. The highlight of the match for sure was my first serve—11 aces, and over 80% first serves in. I have been serving really well the entire tournament, and today was definitely my best serving performance.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion praised Korda’s aggressive style and unpredictability:
“I was quite nervous because you never know what comes from Korda. He is so aggressive, so talented. He can play any shot in the game and takes away time from his opponent.”
Djokovic admitted that in some moments, particularly at the start of the second set, he was too defensive:
“I was kind of on my back foot, waiting for his errors rather than dictating play. But I managed to break back and put myself in a position to win the tiebreak. When I needed a first serve, I got it. It was a very tense match but a great performance overall.”
Djokovic Becomes Oldest Masters 1000 Semi-Finalist
With this win, Djokovic remains unbeaten against Korda and secures his first Miami Open semi-final appearance since 2016. At 37 years and 10 months, he now holds the record as the oldest Masters 1000 semi-finalist, surpassing Roger Federer, who was 37 years and seven months when he reached the Indian Wells and Miami Open semi-finals in 2019.
Djokovic will now face Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the final, aiming to build on his strong serving display:
“I was a bit tense from the back of the court at the start. I wasn’t going through my shots. But I was fortunate to hit my spots well with the serve, which made my first shots much easier.”
With confidence in his serving game, Djokovic will look to continue his bid for another Miami Open title as he prepares for his semi-final clash.
