Djokovic dazzles in Miami: Messi watched on as the tennis titan moves closer to his 100th tour-level crown.
Lionel Messi was in attendance at the Miami Open on Friday, watching Novak Djokovic defeat Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals.
The presence of the Argentinian legend, who captains Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and boasts a World Cup title along with four Champions League wins, added a touch of royalty to the ATP Masters 1000 event.
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What Djokovic said about Messi’s presence
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Jakub Mensik attributed beating Taylor Fritz to a pre-match encounter with Lionel Messi and an unwashed hand, setting up a final showdown with his idol, Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic expressed his delight at having Messi in the audience, stating it was a great honour to play in front of him for the first time.
He acknowledged his admiration for Messi throughout his career and appreciated the football star attending with his son and family.
The Serbian also highlighted their shared birth year of 1987, noting the remarkable longevity of both athletes.
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“Amazing to have him,” Djokovic said on Messi. “It is a great honour to play, probably for the first time, in front of him live. I am really grateful he was here with his son and the family. I admired him of course as most of the world for most of his career and it is amazing he still keeps going.
“We are actually the same age, born in 1987, so it is nice to have him around.”
What next for Djokovic?
Djokovic, yet to drop a set at the Masters event in Miami, moved into the final after Friday’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over Dimitrov.
The 99-time titlist will play Jakub Mensik in Sunday’s title match, aiming to notch his 100th crown and seventh in the Florida-based tournament.