FILE PHOTO: Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 15, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during his semi final match against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Novak Djokovic of Serbia will play his first ATP Tour final on home soil since 2011 when he faces Slovakia’s Alex Molcan on Saturday at the Belgrade Open.
The top-seeded and top-ranked Djokovic regrouped in the third set for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 semifinal win Friday over another unseeded Slovakian, Andrej Martin. Djokovic saved seven of 10 break points and converted seven of his 11 break opportunities.
Cheating at tic-tac-toe? 😂@DjokerNole & Djordje Djokovic face off! 🎾
🎥: @SerbiaOpen2021 | #BelgradeOpen pic.twitter.com/hKnVMBdBYX
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 29, 2021
Molcan rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory against No. 8 seed Federico Delbonis of Argentina.
Djokovic, 34, won this event twice (2009, 2011) during its previous four-year run and will be seeking his 83rd tour-level title. Molcan, 23, is looking for his first title on tour.
Emilia-Romagna Open
Unseeded American Sebastian Korda and Marco Cecchinato of Italy will battle for the title Saturday on the clay in Parma, Italy.
Korda upended countryman and No. 6 seed Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals, winning 76 percent of his first-serve points and saving eight of nine break points.
Cecchinato needed two hours and 42 minutes to complete a 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-1 victory against Spain’s Jaume Munar.