Published: 10:03, May 23, 2025
Djokovic celebrates birthday with quarterfinal win in Geneva
By Reuters
Serbian Novak Djokovic holds his birthday cake after defeating Matteo Arnaldi of Italy in their quarterfinal match, at the ATP 250 Geneva Open tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, May 22, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

Second-seeded Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the Gonet Geneva Open on Thursday, his 38th birthday, with a 6-4, 6-4 win over eighth-seeded Italian Matteo Arnaldi in Switzerland.

The Serbian avenged a loss to Arnaldi last month at the Mutua Madrid Open. Djokovic's semifinal opponent is British qualifier Cameron Norrie, who eliminated fifth-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia 7-6 (6), 6-4. Norrie saved four of five break points.

Sixth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland saved all three break points in upsetting top seed Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6 (5). Hurkacz won 39 of 45 first-serve points (87 percent). Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner rallied past fourth-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the other quarterfinal.

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a ball to Matteo Arnaldi of Italy during their quarter-final match, at the ATP 250 Geneva Open tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, May 22, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)
Russia's Andrey Rublev plays a return to Germany's Justin Engel during the round of 16 men's singles match at the ATP Tour in Hamburg, Germany, May 21, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

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Third-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia, who won this event in 2020, advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Italy's Luciano Darderi.

Sixth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada outlasted unseeded Frenchman Alexandre Muller 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-3 in a match lasting 89 seconds shy of three hours. Auger-Aliassime had the edge in aces (6-0) and converted 4 of 12 break points, to 2 of 6 for Muller.

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In other quarterfinal matches, Italy's Flavio Cobolli dominated the second set in knocking off Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (4), 6-0; and Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry ousted Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-3.