Photo credit: Gonet Geneva Open Facebook
Birthdays can evoke extreme reactions in some.
Novak Djokovic unleashed a birthday smash to spark his 38th birthday bash—and a sweet dose of red-clay revenge.
Dropping serve in the second set, Djokovic smashed his Head racquet to the red dirt in disgust falling into a 1-3 deficit.
Unwrapping some of his most dynamic play of the day, Djokovic soared through five of the final six games dismissing Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4 to charge into the Gonet Geneva Open semifinals for the second straight year.
The second-seeded Djokovic fired through the final five games winning 12 of the last 13 points played on his serve. Apart from the lone break, Djokovic guarded his second serve with vigilance winning 14 of 18 second-serve points.
Afterward, the birthday boy, and notorious gluten-free health food adherent, was presented with an exquisite chocolate cake on court by tournament organizers. Djokovic took a small bite of the cake to celebrate.
The turning point today was literal break point when Djokovic nearly decapitated his Head racquet.
“It’s great to be in the semifinals again,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “Hopefully this year I can go at least a step further, that’s the goal. I think I’m playing really good tennis.
“Today, a lot of tension on the court. A straight-sets win, but it was much closer than the score indicates. I was 4-1 down in the second, but somehow after that racquet breaking I didn’t lose a game.
“I found my optimal state and balance, mentally and emotionally, to be able to play my best tennis when it was most needed. Hopefully I can carry that into tomorrow.”
The Grand Slam king now stands two wins away from a milestone.
Djokovic is two wins away from joining fellow icons Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the third man in Open Era history to win 100 Tour-level titles.
The former world No. 1 will face either fifth-seeded Alexei Popyrin, who knocked Djokovic out of the 2024 US Open, or British qualifier Cameron Norrie, who had a contentious clash with Djokovic in Rome a few years back where he nailed his opponent with a smash.
Last month in Madrid, Arnaldi toppled Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 becoming the first man ever ranked outside the Top 30 to defeat the former world No. 1 in Madrid.
Playing his idol for the first time, Arnaldi had one simple aim.
"At the start, I was just trying not to shit my pants, to be honest," Arnaldi said with a smile afterward.
Driven to avenge that defeat, Djokovic was sliding around the dirt—and sometimes barking at his box between points.
Both men were hitting heavy drives at the outset trying to gain the edge in baseline exchanges. Arnaldi saved two break points, but made an error to face a third break point in the third game.
Running down a drop shot, Djokovic hit a leaping high backhand volley to break for 2-1.
Curling a crosscourt forehand for game point, Djokovic painted the baseline with a bold backhand backing up the break for 3-1.
Serving for the first set, Djokovic rallied from love-30 down targeting the Italian’s backhand wing. Djokovic won four points in a row, snatching a one-set lead when Arnaldi netted a forehand.
Still, Djokovic was sometimes gesturing to new coach Dusan Vemic in apparent agitation. At times, it looked like a game of charades between player and coach as Djokovic gestured with his hands and Vemic would respond sometimes with a clenched fist and other times holding his palms down in a “calm down and take a deep breath” signal.
Though Djokovic had the one-set lead, he still looked a little unsettled. Gesturing and barking at his box, at times, Djokovic sent a backhand long to cede the break and a 3-1 second-set lead to the Italian.
An irate Djokovic wound up and spiked his Head racquet to the red clay smashing it and incurring a code violation warning for racquet abuse. Arnaldi fought back from 15-30 down in the fifth game, banging a forehand winner down the middle to confirm the break for 4-1.
At one point, Djokovic slipped trying to recover to the center of the court appearing to strain his knee. That moment prompted a hush of concern among Geneva fans.
Dialing in his drives, Djokovic was cracking crisper combination as he streaked through seven points in a row holding at love then breaking for 3-4.
Nearly untouchable on serve the rest of the way, Djokovic won eight of his last nine service points closing in 98 minutes.