No stopping the Novak Djokovic steamroller at the Cincinnati Masters

ATP Tour
Ruthless Novak Djokovic

World No 1 Novak Djokovic is two wins away from successfully defending his Cincinnati Masters title after downing Lucas Pouille in the quarter-final.

The Serb was tested by Pouille in the first set, but then ran away with proceedings as he secured a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory in one hour and 26 minutes to reach the four for the fifth consecutive year.

“I thought he played really well throughout the first set. We both held our service games quite comfortably until the tie-break and then I just stayed in there, very focussed, didn’t drop my level. He did,” Djokovic told ATPTour.com. “[He] double faulted and missed a couple of forehands and obviously that cost him the tie-break.”

Next up for the 16-time Grand Slam winner is Daniil Medvedev after the ninth seed won his all-Russian duel with Andrey Rublev.

Medvedev is on a roll as he reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Canada last week, but Rublev came into the match on the back of an upset win over Roger Federer. However, it was Medvedev who came out on top with a 6-2, 6-3 win.

The other semi-final will see Richard Gasquet take on David Goffin.

Frenchman Gasquet is in a Masters 1000 semi-final for the first time in six years as he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-2.

“It’s crazy for me to reach my first semi-final at this age,” the 33-year-old said after reaching the last-four in Cincinnati for the first time in 13 attempts.

The 16th seeded Goffin advanced after Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka had to withdraw from the clash due to illness.

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Daniil Medvedev Novak Djokovic

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