MALAGA (AFP) ˗ Novak Djokovic steered Serbia into the Davis Cup semifinals as he beat Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to secure a 2-0 triumph over Great Britain on Thursday, Nov. 23, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
Italy defeated the Netherlands 2-1 and will face Serbia in the second semifinal on Saturday in Malaga, after last year’s runners-up Australia faces Finland Friday.
World number one Djokovic played with his typical relentless quality and then rebuked British fans at the end of the match as they tried to down out his victory speech with drums.
After Miomir Kecmanovic edged Jack Draper 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) in the opening singles rubber, 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic outclassed the resilient Norrie.
Djokovic, who beat Sinner to win the ATP Finals on Sunday in Turin before flying to the Costa del Sol, celebrated his landmark 400th week at number one with a straight sets win – before the captains agreed not to play the redundant doubles rubber.
Sinner drove Italy into the Davis Cup semifinals, the world number four triumphing in both his singles rubber and in the decisive doubles.
He dispatched Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to level the tie after Botic van de Zandschulp edged Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in the opening singles rubber.
Then Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego defeated Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals for the second year running in Malaga.
Around 5,000 British fans outnumbered the Serbs at the sold-out Martin Carpena arena but the relentless Djokovic silenced them with his 21st consecutive Davis Cup singles victory.
“Learn how to respect people, learn how to respect players, learn how to behave yourselves,” Djokovic told a group of fans with a drum after, who he said had disrespected him the whole game.
