This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
World number one Novak Djokovic continued his impressive form at the Cincinnati Masters, dispatching Lucas Pouille 7-6(2) 6-1 in a quarter-final match on Friday in Ohio.
Published on August 17, 2019, the match was a far cry from their previous encounter at the Australian Open semi-finals in January, where Djokovic conceded only four games before claiming the title.
Despite taking nearly an hour to prevail in the first set, Djokovic closed out the tiebreak with a well-placed backhand passing shot, before dominating the second set with relentless efficiency.
However, the Serbian star's victory was not without its concerns, as he required brief treatment for a sore elbow late in the match.
"I managed to finish the match, had a little bit of tightness in my elbow but hopefully everything will be fine for tomorrow," Djokovic said in an on-court interview.
With less than 24 hours to recover, Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, who continued his hot form by ousting Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-3 in under an hour.
Medvedev, who has made two finals in the past two weeks, will be looking to cause an upset against Djokovic, while Richard Gasquet will face David Goffin in the other semi-final after defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2.
