By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday January 5, 2017
A tricky wind and wily opponent conspired to test Novak Djokovic today.
The defending Doha champion tamed both the unpredictable elements and eccentricities of veteran Radek Stepanek, 6-3, 6-3, surging into the Qatar Open semifinals.
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The 12-time Grand Slam champion will face Fernando Verdasco for a spot in the final.
The 42nd-ranked Spaniard defused 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic, 6-2, 7-5. Djokovic has won eight of 12 meetings with the left-handed Verdasco, including a 6-2, 6-2, sweep in the Doha round of 16 last January.
Djokovic, who claimed the 2016 title without dropping a set, has won 16 straight sets in Doha.
“It’s always a great test playing in challenging conditions, (you must) accept the challenge,” Djokovic said. “He has my utmost admiration and respect. At his age he’s still battling. He plays doubles semifinal right now—in 30 minutes—you’ve gotta give him credit for it.”
It was the 29-year-old Serbian’s 12th straight win against his friend and sometime practice partner.
The 38-year-old Stepanek, who played through qualifying to reach the main draw, showed some exquisite feel at net and animated energy between points, appearing to bark at Djokovic’s box early in the match.
The last time the two squared off, Stepanek amused Djokovic pulling off a stunning scooped pass and miming this musical celebration.
Muting the Czech at the outset, Djokovic broke at love and denied a break point extending the lead to 3-0.
In the seventh game, Stepanek roared on a Djokovic error, prematurely celebrating what he thought was a break. A chagrined Stepanek shook his head realizing he hadn’t in fact broken, but instead earned break points. Djokovic fought off a couple of break points, but an indecisive overhead and netted backhand donated the break.
Stepanek, who was bidding to become the oldest ATP semifinalist since a 40-year-old Jimmy Connors made the final four at the 1993 San Francisco tournament, was bothered by a cranky back and creaky serve. He committed one of his five double faults on game point, squandering the chance to level the match.
The blustery wind and a shanked Djokovic shot conspired to create the key break. Stepanek sprayed a forehand as Djokovic broke for 5-3. He served out the 54-minute opener as Stepanek stumbled in pursuit of a shot.
Striking with more precision as the match progressed, Djokovic closed a 91-minute victory on a Stepanek double fault.
Our Take
In tough circumstances, Djokovic played some declarative rallies. More importantly, he never let Stepanek’s efforts to disrupt his rhythm— including apparent trash talk toward his box and a timeout for treatment of a lower back injury—fester into frustration.
Notes and Quotes
"It's exciting, you obviously want to start the year off in the best possible way, that's three wins out of three," said Djokovic. "It's always a great test in these kind of conditions, it's never easy for the players."
Djokovic won 22 of 28 points played on Stepanek’s second serve and broke serve four times.
The second seed is now 10-1 lifetime in Doha with his lone loss coming to Ivo Karlovic.