Novak Djokovic was made to fight for every point in Athens, as Portugal’s Nuno Borges pushed the world no.5 to his limits in a thrilling quarter-final at the ATP 250 Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship on Thursday afternoon (November 6).
Djokovic, chasing yet another milestone, notched his 200th indoor victory with a hard-fought 7-6(1), 6-4 win, but it was Borges, ranked 47th, who stole much of the spotlight with his fearless performance.
“It was a very physical battle,” Djokovic admitted afterwards. “I thought Nuno played really well. I was a bit surprised with how good he played.”
Coming from the 24-time Grand Slam champion, that’s no small compliment. Borges went toe-to-toe with the Serbian for much of the match, firing big serves and staying cool under pressure. The Portuguese star saved break points in both the second and eighth games before Djokovic finally found his rhythm in a blistering first-set tie-break.
“I think we went toe-to-toe most of the match,” Djokovic said. “Just a few points decided the winner tonight, and he deserves a round of applause for his performance.”
Borges’ composure and clean hitting forced Djokovic to dig deep. Though the Serb maintained control, the Portuguese player kept pushing, showing flashes of elite playing even as he appeared to struggle with a right knee issue late in the match.
For Djokovic, it was another step toward his 199th tour-level semi-final, while for Borges it spelled his final match of the season.
