Djokovic sets record of 51 times reaching Grand Slam semi-finals

(Dan Tri) - Novak Djokovic impressively defeated Alexander Zverev in four sets to advance to his 51st Grand Slam semi-final. The Serbian will compete for a ticket to the final with number one seed Jannik Sinner.

Novak Djokovic had a classy performance in the early morning of June 5 at Roland Garros, where he overcame runner-up Alexander Zverev to once again affirm his unshakable position at the top of world tennis.

The 38-year-old Serbian used a tactical masterclass to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, advancing to his unprecedented 51st Grand Slam semi-final. In an attempt to break Zverev's steady and consistent play, Djokovic used a variety of approaches, especially his surprising drop shots, to break the deadlock and take a 9-5 lead against the German.

Djokovic showed impressive form against Zverev (Photo: Getty).

“Especially in the last games, my strategy was just to drop shots. So I hit three or four in a row. Maybe you don't see it on TV, but in reality there is a strong wind on the court, so it feels like you have to hit twice as hard. It's important to change the game,” Djokovic said after the match.

After a difficult start to the clay-court season with back-to-back major losses, Djokovic has found his best form at the most crucial moment in his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title. He arrived at Roland Garros fresh off his 100th tournament title in Geneva, and is currently riding an impressive nine-match winning streak.

With his 101st clay-court Grand Slam win, three-time champion Djokovic sets up a fateful semi-final clash with top seed Jannik Sinner, who eased past Alexander Bublik in straight sets. Although Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Sinner at 4-4, Djokovic has lost his last three meetings with the young Italian.

It was also a sweet revenge for Djokovic, who had to retire from his semi-final against Zverev at the Australian Open in January due to a torn muscle in his left leg. His solid performance in the Paris quarter-finals helped him make up for that mistake.

The former world No. 1 is chasing his first Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open. Since then, Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Roland Garros champion, and Sinner have shared the next five major titles together.

Zverev had set his sights on reaching the Roland Garros semi-finals for the fifth year in a row, but he could not cope with Djokovic's powerful and tactical shots. Meanwhile, the Serbian was making his 13th semi-final appearance in the French capital.

Zverev got off to a fast start in the first set, leading 2-0. Djokovic had to change his racket early to find his footing, and it seemed to work. He came into his own in the eighth game, firing a trademark open backhand to create the first break point, but Zverev held on through a tough rally to hold on.

Playing in windy conditions at Court Philippe Chatrier, both players struggled to finish. However, Zverev took advantage of his serve advantage in the opening set, dropping just one of 18 points on his first serve and closing out the set with the first ace of the match.

Zverev could not neutralize Djokovic's changing style of play (Photo: Getty)

After dropping the first set of the tournament, Djokovic responded with a more varied style of play. He countered Zverev's big shots with his own flair throughout the second set, highlighted by two consecutive drop shots on a dramatic set point to level the match.

Djokovic continued to stick to his game plan throughout the third and fourth sets, aiming to cut down points and draw Zverev into more battles at the net. However, he was also willing to engage in difficult backcourt rallies. It was that tactical awareness that made the difference, allowing Djokovic to stay calm in the closing stages of the match against Zverev’s late surge.

The highlight was a thrilling 41-shot rally, in which the two players ran more than 200 metres, to save a break point in the sixth game of the fourth set. Djokovic eventually converted his fifth match point to seal the victory after three hours and 18 minutes.

“Obviously there was a lot of pressure at the end of the match, Zverev has been one of the best players in the world for the last six years. Matches like this tonight are why I still want to play and compete,” Djokovic said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/djokovic-lap-ky-luc-51-lan-vao-ban-ket-grand-slam-20250605074513255.htm