"Suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog" - Novak Djokovic happy to beat 'off the charts' Andrey Rublev and reach Paris Masters final
Novak Djokovic moved one step closer to his seventh title at the Paris Masters, coming from behind to beat Andrey Rublev in the semifinals of the 2023 edition on Saturday.
It was Rublev who looked in control for most of the clash, taking the opening set 5-7. The second set between the duo went to the tiebreaker, which Djokovic, who was visibly struggling at that point with a back injury, won 7-3 to force a decider.
After a medical timeout that lasted a dozen minutes, the 24-time Grand Slam champion returned to court rejuvenated, only to face a bull-headed Rublev that refused to go away. However, despite all the resistance that the 26-year-old put up, the Serb managed to overcome him 7-5 in the final set after a marathon battle.
Speaking at his on-court interview afterwards, Novak Djokovic was all praise for Andrey Rublev, stating that he suffocated him like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the duration of the match.
The 37-year-old emphasized that he had never seen such a high level from Rublev in their previous encounters and hailed the Russian for putting on an 'off the charts' display despite ending up with a loss to his name.
"Just having a little bit space and time to hit the ball... because Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the match. He was playing on an extremely high level."
"I mean I knew that he possesses a great quality but today he was off the charts honestly. I don't think I've ever faced Rublev with this good. On the other hand, I was struggling again with my fitness, just got though it," Novak Djokovic said.
Novak Djokovic to take on Grigor Dimitrov in Paris Masters final
It will be a 13th career meeting between Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday, as the 32-year-old defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a tight three-setter himself to reach the final of the 2023 Paris Masters.
The head-to-head between the duo is currently 11-1 in favor of the Serb, who has won their last nine encounters on the trot, including two this year - at the Australian Open and the Italian Open.
While the World No. 1 will be going for his seventh title at Paris-Bercy, Dimitrov will be hoping to win his second Masters 1000 title. Previously, he defeated Nick Kyrgios in the final of the 2017 Cincinnati Open - his only previous ATP Masters final on tour.