Novak Djokovic beat Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semifinals in Athens.
The 24-time major champion became the first active player to reach 200 indoor victories (200-50) and he reached his 199th career ATP semifinal.
Djokovic came away impressed with the 47th-ranked Borges.
“It was a very physical battle,” he said. “I thought Nuno played at a very high level. To be honest, I have to say I was a bit surprised at how well he played. We went toe-to-toe for most of the game and very few points decided the winner tonight.”
Djokovic hit 22 winners to Borges’ 24, the Portuguese grabbing an impressive 16 forehand winners.
Djokovic saved both break points he faced, and converted one of five to edge out a tight battle in one hour and 43 minutes.
Djokovic saved a pair of break points while serving at 4-4 in the first, and eventually cruised to the set after a dominant tiebreak.
“I just tried to hang in there – a good serve always helps in the big moments,” said Djokovic, who improves to 37-11 on the season.
A break for 4-3 was enough to secure passage to the second set for Djokovic, who improves to 1161-233 lifetime.
The 38-year-old will face either Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in the semi-finals.
