From then on, the 38-year-old didn’t look back and secured 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory in one hour and 43 minutes with a powerful forehand winner down the line.
“Kalispéra,” Djokovic greeted the spectators in Greek at the start of his on-court interview before reacting to his latest encounter.
“It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played a high level. I served well in the important moments. There weren’t too many opportunities. I was a bit surprised with how good he played. I think we went toe to toe, most of the match,” said Djokovic, who won 88 percent of his first-service points to become the first active player on the ATP Tour to record 200 indoor wins.
“Just a few points decided the winner tonight and he deserves a round of applause for his performance. I played a great tie-break in the first set. Not too many opportunities for both of us to break the serve of the other guy. That game was the only game I was able to break him.”
