Novak Djokovic admits he is always looking to ‘raise the bar’ on the tour as he reached a 75th Masters 1000 semi-final.
The world number two achieved the accomplishment after beating Taylor Fritz 6-0 6-4 in the last four in Cincinnati.
Djokovic produced a dominant display to defeat Fritz as he searches for a third title in Cincinnati.
After the match Djokovic spoke about his performance as he beat the American for a seventh consecutive time, “Every match is a new match, a new challenge for both of us,” Djokovic told the ATP website.
“We never faced each other here. Obviously being the No. 1 American, he gets a lot of crowd support. I just managed to get off the blocks really strong, played an almost perfect, flawless first set.
“Then I started off really poorly in the second and handed him the break, but from 2-4 down I played really four solid games in the second. Just overall a great performance.”
The win means Djokovic is one Masters 1000 semi-final away from tying Rafael Nadal’s record.
It has been an impressive week so far for Djokovic who admits he is always looking to raise the standard of play on the ATP tour, “That’s something I’m wishing for, that every day I raise the bar slightly more, the level of tennis,” Djokovic said.
“That’s what’s happening during the tournament. I played three great matches and each day has been a better feeling on the court overall. So hopefully the same trajectory can continue.”
Should Djokovic win his next two matches and Alcaraz’s losing his semi-final to Hubert Hurkacz then the Serb will reclaim the world number one spot heading into the US Open.
Before Djokovic can think about the final, the second seed will look to overcome Alexander Zverev in the last four.
