44th-ranked Czech Tomas Machac defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Geneva tournament on Friday.
Djokovic, 37, accepted a wild card for this Swiss clay-court event. He aimed to overcome recent struggles before heading to Roland Garros. At this venue, Djokovic has claimed victory three times.
Machac, 23, shared his thoughts post-match. “I have no reaction right now; I just fought for every ball,” he stated. Facing Djokovic, he added, involves a mix of hope and striving to perform at one’s best.
During the match, Djokovic, attempting to reach his first season final, needed a medical timeout after the first set. He has not won any titles this year. His next challenge is at Roland Garros, starting against French player Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Machac, experiencing his first tour-level semi-final, made a strong comeback. After a challenging second set in which he lost no games, he regained control in the third set.
“I’m looking forward to playing in a final for the first time,” Machac remarked.
Machac will play with the winner in the final, two-time champion Casper Ruud and Italian Flavio Cobolli.
Casper Ruud, currently ranked seventh in the world, has consistently performed well at the French Open, finishing as the runner-up in the tournament’s last two finals. This includes a notable match last year, in which Novak Djokovic defeated him.
