Home comforts for battling Djokovic
NOVAK DJOKOVIC reached his first final of the year after beating Karen Khachanov in the Serbia Open semi-finals.
The world No1 fought back to beat the Russian 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 to the delight of his home crowd in Belgrade.
Djokovic will play another Russian, second seed Andrey Rublev, in the final of a tournament he last won 11 years ago.
The clay court event is only the third of a disrupted season for the Serb, who was unable to compete at the Australian Open after being deported because he had not been vaccinated against Covid.
He was also forced to pull out of two tournaments in the United States for the same reason. Iga Swiatek, the women’s world No1, was made to work hard to secure her place in the final of the Stuttgart Open, pipping Russian Ludmilla Samsonova 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.
Swiatek, who had beaten British No 1 Emma Raducanu in the last eight, extended her winning run to 22 matches — despite losing a set for the first time in 15 matches — as she chases a remarkable fourth consecutive title.
The Pole now faces world No4 Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, in the final.