Djokovic: "I needed matches like this"

Djokovic: "I needed matches like this"

He defeated the younger countryman after the turnaround, and his potential rival in the semifinals will be the winner of the duel between Khachanov and Monteiro.

"Left-handed tennis players are very awkward. That completely changes the tactical approach. Monteiro has won several matches here and he is playing well. Khachanov has been in the top 15, 20 for a long time. He is quite solid, he plays well. He beat me in the Bercy final a few years ago", Djokovic said.

Djokovic defeated Djere and Kecmanovic in the same way, after a reversal and several hours of fighting.

"I think these two victories are very important for me. It couldn't have happened better. A long match yesterday, one, two points from defeat. I really needed this. I'm looking for my form, my game. It gets better every day", Novak added.

After the duel with Kecmanović, he met his former coach Nikola Pilić.

"Niko is my tennis father. It is a great pleasure to see him. I haven't seen him for several years. He doesn't change a bit, he says he plays tennis for three hours a day. He helped me a lot, he accepted me when I was 12 at the academy at Munich. Those are the key years for me as a tennis player. He helped Serbian sports, tennis particularly", Djokovic concluded.

Novak rests on Friday, while the semifinals await him on Saturday.