TEL AVIV/STARNBERG, September 30, 2022
Top seed Novak Djokovic leads the semi-finals line-up of the Tel Aviv Watergen Open. The World No. 7 defeated Canadian lucky loser Vasek Pospisil 7-6(5), 6-3 on Friday afternoon at the Tel Aviv International Convention Center.
Djokovic sent down eight aces and won 74 per cent of his first-service points to succeed in one hour and 53 minutes.
What a way to seal it!
Novak Djokovic is through to the Semi-Finals in Tel Aviv, after a 7-6 6-3 victory against lucky loser Vasek Pospisil. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GArasXgl5a
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 30, 2022
“It was a great, positive win,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “Vasek is one of my best friends on the Tour. We have known each other for many years. It is never easy playing someone you respect so much and like so much, but we are both professionals and wanted to win the match and you can see that.
“I think the level of tennis was really high. Especially towards the end of the first set and the second set. Credit to him for fighting. Great to see him back.”
Djokovic, who is competing in just his second tour-level event since he triumphed at Wimbledon in July, will next take on Roman Safiullin after the 25-year-old Russian downed Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-1 in 69 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Constant Lestienne of France fought past fourth-seeded US-American Maxime Cressy 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(3) to advance to his first tour-level semi-final. The 30-year-old Amiens native will next meet Marin Cilic. The second-seeded Croatian is into his fifth tour-level semi-final of the season after receiving a walkover from Briton Liam Broady at the ATP 250 hard-court event in Israel.
DAY 6. Results
✅ Marin Cilic VS Liam Broady
✅ Constant Lestienne VS Maxime Cressy 6:7, 6:3, 7:6
✅ Roman Safiullin VS Arthur Rinderknech 6:4, 6:1#tawo #atp250 #atptour #telavivopen pic.twitter.com/AMzr2fqTWu— Tel Aviv Watergen Open (@telavivopen) September 30, 2022
