Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the Geneva Open on his 38th birthday, securing a 6-4, 6-4 win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi on Thursday. The Serbian tennis star turned the match around after a challenging second set, delighting fans in Switzerland.
Despite trailing 4-1 in the second set and displaying frustration by smashing his racket after a service break, Djokovic regained his composure. He apologized to the crowd in French, saying, “I’m sorry for the racket. It’s not a good example, particularly for the young ones. Thank you for your support. I know that, with the cold temperatures, it’s not easy to stay here.”
Djokovic rallied to win five consecutive games, overcoming the 39th-ranked Arnaldi, who had previously defeated him at last month’s Madrid Open. “It was much closer than maybe the scoring indicates,” Djokovic commented after the match.
Elsewhere, top-seeded Taylor Fritz of the USA was defeated by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6(5), and Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner upset Russia’s Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Djokovic will face Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the semifinals on Friday. Norrie advanced by defeating Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 7-6(4), 6-4 in the evening match.
