Greece has been polite Novak Djokovic and he is making the most of his time in Athens. The Serbian icon reached his 144th career ATP final on Friday, defeating Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann, 6-3, 6-4, to reach his third final of the season.
Djokovic will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Sebastian Korda in Saturday’s final.
“I think it was the best tennis I’ve played in this tournament,” Djokovic said after claiming his 38th win of the season in one hour and 19 minutes. “He came at the right time. Obviously I knew Hanfmann was a big threat because he’s a very tall player who serves a lot, has big shots, big game. He’s very aggressive, gets the ball early and very flat and takes his opponent’s time.”
Djokovic was strong from the service bar, knocking down nine aces and winning nine of 13 second-serve points. He lost just 14 service points overall.
The 24-time major champion broke Hanfmann for 4-2 in the second and added a second break to seal the set by winning the last four games.
Djokovic found himself on a break in the second but quickly turned the tide, rallying to win the final five games of the match.
“I had to stay focused the whole way,” added the 38-year-old. “I was broken in the second set, 3-1, but I kept my composure and didn’t let myself get too negative. All in all, a great level of tennis, I’m very pleased and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s final.”
Djokovic hit 17 winners against 12 unforced errors; Hanfmann scored 16 winners and 21 unforced errors. The 24-time major champion faced just one break point and converted three of six against the 33-year-old Hanfmann.
