On his 38th birthday, Novak gave himself and his fans the perfect present: another important victory ahead of Roland Garros.
In the quarterfinals of the Gonet Geneva Open, Novak defeated Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets, 6–4, 6–4, after a hard-fought battle that lasted one hour and 38 minutes.
Facing a talented and in-form opponent, Novak displayed composure, experience, and the mentality of a true champion when it mattered most.
Although the scoreline might not fully reflect the intensity of the match, both sets were tightly contested and filled with drama. The two players produced high-quality tennis throughout, showcasing their full arsenal of skills in every aspect of the game.
Novak secured the opening set thanks to a break in the third game, converting his third break point. From that moment on, the match remained even, but the early break proved decisive — after 53 minutes, Novak took a one-set lead.
Arnaldi started the second set strongly, breaking early and consolidating for a 4–1 advantage. But Novak once again showed why he is one of the greatest of all time. He broke back in the seventh game, added another break to go up 5–4, and then held serve to seal the win in his 220th ATP quarterfinal — with five consecutive games.
With this win, Novak avenged his loss to Arnaldi at the Madrid Masters just a month ago.
He will face Cameron Norrie (GBR, qualifier, H2H 4-0) in Friday’s semifinal (about 16.00 CET).
Happy Birthday, Nole!
Photo: Profimedia
