Djokovic roller ensures number one

The Serb defeats Khachanov in 68 minutes and gets into the semifinals of Dubai. Nadal will have to wait to assault first place.

Novak Djokovic He does not know the defeat in 2020. The Serbian achieved his sixteenth consecutive victory to reach the semifinals of the Dubai tournament and ensure its continuity as world number one.

The Balkan tennis player, winner of the Australian Open, was a roller before Karen Khachanov, seventh favorite, 6-2 and 6-2. The Serbian had already defeated the Russian in four of the five previous clashes.

Djokovic needed to reach at least the semifinals in Dubai to remain at the top of the ATP classification regardless of the role played by the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the Acapulco tournament, who is on the prowl to recover the number one ranking.

But the Belgrade player had no problem to overcome Khachanov, who beat in 68 minutes, and prolong his aspirations in Dubai, which he conquered in the editions of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 and which was also a finalist in 2015 , when Roger Federer fell before the Swiss.

Djokovic will face in the semifinals with the winner of the clash between the French Gael Monfils, third favorite, and Richard Gasquet. The other semifinal will be played by the British Daniel Evans, who beat the Russian Andrei Rublev, sixth, 6-2 and 7-6 (9) and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, second seed, who eliminated the German Jan Lennard Struff by 4 -6, 6-4 and 6-4.