Novak Djokovic wins on 37th birthday to advance at Geneva Open

Novak Djokovic secured a win on his thirty seventh birthday as he beat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in a rain-interrupted match to maneuver into the quarter-finals of the Geneva Open.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, is enjoying within the ATP 250 event in Switzerland for the primary time as preparation for the French Open and recorded a 6-3 6-3 victory.

It made him solely the third participant – after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer – to win 1,100 matches on the ATP Tour.

On the finish of the match, the group sang ‘comfortable birthday’ to Djokovic and he was additionally introduced with a chocolate birthday cake by event officers.

“My birthday would not have been the identical if I had not received the match,” stated Djokovic.

“I am very grateful for all of the folks that got here out to help me and thanks for the birthday track, that was very particular for me.”

The world primary is but to achieve a remaining in 2024 and can subsequent face both Canada’s Denis Shapovalov or Dutch sixth seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Within the opening spherical, Hanfmann received 7-5 6-2 towards Britain’s Andy Murray, who had been enjoying his first ATP Tour-level match since rupturing ankle ligaments on the Miami Open in March.

However the 32-year-old German, eighty fifth on the planet, had his serve damaged by Djokovic within the sixth recreation after which didn’t convert two break-point alternatives quickly after.

With Djokovic serving for the set at 5-3, Hanfmann missed 4 break factors, earlier than the match was paused at deuce within the ninth recreation – which was the beginning of a rain delay of greater than an hour.

When play resumed, Djokovic rapidly sealed the set, though Hanfmann then broke his serve at the beginning of the second on his method to a 3-0 lead.

He had an opportunity to maneuver a double break forward, however couldn’t take it, with Djokovic getting the match again on serve within the subsequent recreation, aided by a wonderful sliced drop shot that Hanfmann was unable to assemble.

Djokovic, helped by two glorious cross-court winners within the ninth recreation, received six video games in a row to seal the victory.

Earlier this month, he had misplaced 6-2 6-3 in simply 67 minutes to Alejandro Tabilo within the third spherical of the Italian Open, though the Serb stated he had been hampered by the after-effects of by chance being hit on the top by a water bottle two days earlier.

The French Open begins on Sunday, with Djokovic trying to retain his title and win the competitors for a fourth time.