Novak Djokovic continued his seemingly inexorable march towards a 60th Masters title, seeing off a valiant Seb Korda 6-3, 7-6.
2025 ATP Tour
Masters 1000
Miami Open
Miami Gardens, Miami, Florida (Outdoor Hardcourts)
Semifinals Preview- 28th-29th March
28th March
Novak Djokovic (4) 0.23 vs Grigor Dimitrov (14) 3
The match- to the ire of some fans- had been moved to Thursday after Wednesday’s matches had gone terribly over schedule. You always had the feeling that Djokovic had another gear if it was really needed (even when trailing 3-0 in the 2nd set). He served well against Korda, firing nine aces and winning 84% of his first-serve points (though he was broken in the 2nd set). He played solidly from the back of the court, hitting 19 winners to 18 unforced errors. Djokovic created some history with this victory, becoming the oldest semifinalist in the history of Masters 1000 tennis (37 years and ten months). Djokovic has endured a slow start to the year, struggling to recover from the muscle tear that forced him to withdraw from his Aussie Open semifinal. But he looks back to his physical best this fortnight, not dropping a set as he seeks to claim a record 7th Miami Open title (and his 1st at Miami Gardens).
I worry about Grigor Dimitrov’s physical condition going into this semifinal. The Bulgarian left everything out there in his epic quarterfinal comeback win over Francesco Cerundolo, rejecting the traditional post-match interview due to exhaustion. He has endured a tough start to the season, withdrawing from three tournaments due to a variety of physical ailments. He was trounced by Alcaraz at Indian Wells but seems much more at home on these slightly pacier surfaces (reflected by his runner-up finish to Jannik Sinner last year). He can really get that wicked slicked backhand to cause damage on these low-bouncing surfaces. Dimitrov has enjoyed a wonderful career resurgence these past two years or so. However, he is going to need to overcome a considerable head-to-head disparity if he wishes to progress to a 4th career Masters final (his sole victory coming at the 2017 Cincinnati Masters).
The Verdict: Djokovic to win in straight sets at 0.71- Djokovic leads the head-to-head 12-1. In fact, you must go back to 2013 to find Dimitrov’s sole triumph (in Madrid). Add Dimitrov’s physical issues I can only draw one conclusion: Djokovic is going to win this match. Sure, Dimitrov can stab that backhand slice into the surface and create some problems. But Djokovic looks resurgent and Dimitrov is probably just happy to be here. I can’t find a way to get around the inevitable.
