Davis Cup 2021 - Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Bublik and wins doubles decider to lift Serbia into semi-finals

ByEurosport

Updated 01/12/2021 at 22:59 GMT

Novak Djokovic sealed a semi-final showdown against Croatia by cruising past Alexander Bublik in straight sets before winning in the doubles decider. The world number one had little trouble overcoming the 24-year-old to make it 18 straight Davis Cup singles wins for Djokovic before winning in the doubles alongside Nikola Cacic in three sets.

Novak Djokovic efficiently cruised past Alexander Bublik with a 6-3, 6-3 victory in their quarter-final clash in Madrid to make it 1-1 before winning in the doubles to help his nation into the Davis Cup semi-finals.

Earlier in the day, Mikhail Kukushkin gave Kazakhstan a surprise 1-0 lead with a 6-7 6-4 7-6 win over Miomir Kecmanovic, but it never looked like Bublik would be able to produce a victory over Djokovic in the second match.

It meant that Djokovic and Nikola Cacic took on Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov in a doubles decider and the Serbians prevailed with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory in one hour and 39 minutes.

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"We had a little drop energetically in the second set but we managed to bounce back," Djokovic said after the match. "The start of the third set was crucial.

The first couple of games we held our nerves and bridged the momentum to our side and that's what we managed. I'm proud of Nikola and this team and we deserve to be in the semi-finals.

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Serbia captain Viktor Troicki said afterwards: "I'm proud of my team. The players gave their best. We were unlucky in the first match but luckily we made it through. Novak today was amazing in the singles and doubles, Nikola also helped him so much. I'm proud of the whole team.

We have a few days to rest and it's already late and we will prepare well for Saturday's match.

Against Bublik the world number one set up two break points with a trademark forehand at 2-1 up. Bublik saved the first one with an ace but could not save the second after miscuing a drop shot.

Djokovic grew in confidence and then began to toy with his opponent during their rallies. Djokovic, who made just four unforced errors in the first set, comfortably held his service game to win it 6-3.

In a nervy start to the second set Djokovic broke to go 2-1 up with the penultimate shot a masterful cross-court return. Winning close to 90 per cent of his points on his first serve throughout the match, Djokovic fashioned a 4-2 lead in the second set.

And Djokovic wasted no time to wrap up the contest, holding his service game to love to go 5-3 up. Bublik held his serve with a cheeky underarm serve, but Djokovic sealed the win on his second match point and gave a subtle fist pump to himself.

‘We waited for it!’ - Bublik gives crowd what they want with underarm serve

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