Novak Djokovic earned his 200th career indoor victory at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship on Thursday, as he eased past Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semifinals in Athens.
The Serbian missed three break point chances in the opening set, but raised his level when it mattered and dominated the tiebreak. After racing to a 6-1 lead, he energized the crowd by running down the court to high-five fans before closing out the set to take the lead.
The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings carried that momentum into the second set, delivering a calm and commanding performance to secure victory in one hour and 44 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
“It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played at a high level,” Djokovic said. “I was a bit surprised at how well he played. I think we were evenly matched for most of the game. Just a few points decided the winner tonight and he deserves a round of applause for his performance.
“I played a great tie-break in the first set. Not many chances for either of us to break the other’s serve. That game was the only game where I was able to break it.”
Djokovic is chasing his 101st tour-level title this week, having become only the third man to win 100 trophies when he triumphed in Geneva earlier this year. Jimmy Connors leads the way with 109 crowns, with Roger Federer second on 103.
Djokovic defeated Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match in Athens and scored his first win against the Chilean in his third attempt. The 38-year-old Serbian was very strong during his first two matches and is in good form for the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals, which start on Sunday.
The record seven-time end-of-season champion Djokovic has been included in the Jimmy Connors group alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.
For now, his focus remains on the ATP 250 event in Athens, where he will play either Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in his 199th tour-level semi-final on Friday. Djokovic is now 29-0 after winning the first set in 2025, according to ATP Infosys Stats.
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