Novak Djokovic defeated Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semifinals in Athens.
The 24-time major champion became the first active player to reach 200 indoor wins (200-50) and he reached his 199th career ATP semifinal.
Djokovic came away impressed with the 47th-ranked Borges.
“It was a very physical battle,” he said. “I thought that Nuno played at a very high level. Honestly I must say that I was a bit surprised with how good he played. We went toe-to-toe most of the match and very few points decided the winner tonight.”
Djokovic hit 22 winners against 24 for Borges, the Portuguese ripping 16 forehand winners, impressively.
Djokovic saved both break points he faced, and converted one of five to get through a tight battle in one hour and 43 minutes.
Djokovic saved a pair of break points while serving at 4-4 in the first, and eventually came away with the set after a dominant tiebreak.
“I just tried to hang in there – serving well always helps in the important moments,” said Djokovic, who improves to 37-11 on the season.
A break for 4-3 was enough to secure safe passage in the second set for Djokovic, who improves to 1161-233 lifetime.
The 38-year-old will face either Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in the semifinals.
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