Even after a strong performance that rattled his opponent, Novak Djokovic had to dig much deeper than expected at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship in Athens. The Serbian star recorded his 200th indoor win by defeating Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4, advancing to the semi-finals and reaching his 199th tour-level semi-final. Borges, ranked #47, far below Djokovic #5, played in a way that forced the former world number one to earn every single point.

After the match, Djokovic admitted he had been surprised by Borges’ high level of play. “It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played really well. I was a bit surprised with how good he played.” And it really was that good. Borges truly deserved that praise. The first set was evenly matched, stretching into a tense 6-6 tie-br

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