MALAGA: Novak Djokovic steered Serbia into the Davis Cup semi-finals with a straightforward 6-4. 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie to secure a 2-0 triumph over Great Britain on Thursday, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

Italy defeated the Netherlands 2-1 after Sinner inspired his team to a comeback win, the world number four winning his singles and a decisive doubles, and will face Serbia in the second semi-final on Saturday in Malaga, after last year’s runners-up Australia face Finland.

World number one Djokovic, looking to complete a remarkable year by helping his country win the Davis Cup for the second time, outclassed Norrie to become his country’s most successful Davis Cup player.

The 36-year-old played with his typical relentless quality and then rebuked British fans at the end of the match as they tried to drown out his victory speech with drums.

Britain, missing the injured Andy Murray and Dan Evans, had banked on Jack Draper winning the opening singles against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic and their strong doubles partnership of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.

But world number 55 Kecmanovic produced a brilliant performance to beat Draper 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) in a fierce battle.

Norrie then needed to overcome record 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic for the first time in his career to keep the tie alive.

That never looked likely, however, as Djokovic, who won three of the year’s four Grand Slam titles and last week’s ATP Finals for a record seventh time, dissected the world number 18.

A single break of serve was enough for Djokovic in the opening set, the Serb silencing the raucous British fans with the clinical brilliance of his tennis.

Norrie dropped serve early in the second set but hung on grimly as he attempted to stall Djokovic’s march.

It was futile in the end, though, as Djokovic wrapped it up with a flurry of aces to keep Serbia on course for a repeat of their 2010 triumph when Djokovic and his team-mates famously shaved off their hair after victory over France in the final.

“Learn how to respect people, learn how to respect players, learn how to behave yourselves,” Djokovic told a group of fans with a drum after, who he said had disrespected him the whole game.

“The entire match pretty much, there was disrespect but it’s something I have to be prepared for in the Davis Cup,” Djokovic told reporters. “It’s normal that fans step over the line and in the heat of the moment you react too and in a way show that you don’t allow this kind of behaviour.

“It’s always a great emotion to play for your country even if after a long season you are feeling it in the legs,” he added.

He now has a record 44 wins for Serbia in the competition, surpassing Nenad Zimonjic.

Neither Kecmanovic or Djokovic faced a single break point.

Earlier, in the Martin Carpena Arena which has seen big crowds for Final Eight, Italy kept alive their hopes of a first Davis Cup title since 1976.

The Dutch moved ahead as Botic van de Zandschulp won a titanic tussle against Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 7-6 (9/7).

But the in-form Sinner, beaten by Djokovic in the ATP Finals in Turin on Sunday, beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7/3) 6-1 to send the tie to a deciding doubles.

Sinner teamed up with Lorenzo Sonego to beat Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof 6-3, 6-4 as Italy reached back-to-back semi-finals in the men’s team competition.

“It means a lot to me,” Sinner said. “But more importantly we’re through to the semi-finals. It’s the first time I can experience this.”

The wildcard entrants last managed back-to-back Davis Cup semi-finals between 1996-98 when they qualified for three consecutively.

“We were under a lot of pressure and starting a little bit as the underdogs in this deciding doubles match but it was a huge pleasure for me to play with [Sonego], we have an incredible team,” said Sinner.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2023