Fifty minutes later, Novak Djokovic strolls into Tokyo semifinals

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continued to deliver the goods for his local fans in Tokyo, sprinting into the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Lucas Pouille on Friday at the ATP 500 event. Djokovic added to earlier season hard-court wins over the Frenchman at the Australian Open and Cincinnati, winning all seven sets they’ve played.

"It was definitely one of the best matches I’ve played this year," Djokovic proclaimed afterwards.

The top seed hit five aces in cruising to a one-set lead, as Pouille was broken twice with misdirected volleys. Pouille's nervy play continued when his first double fault of the match handed Djokovic a break to start the second set. The Serbian went on to earn 70 percent of the total points to complete the emphatic win in just 50 minutes.

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Djokovic is aiming to lift his fourth trophy of the season (Australian Open, Madrid and Wimbledon) and 76th overall on his tournament debut. The 32-year-old previously won six titles and posted a 29-0 record at the China Open in Beijing before opting to change up his Asian swing schedule. He will face either 2017 champion David Goffin or Hyeon Chung for a place in the final.

Reilly Opelka and John Millman will square off for the first time in the semifinals after ending local hopes for a Japanese champion. Opelka was first to reach the last four when he defeated qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama, 6-3, 6-3. In February, the American captured his first ATP title at the New York Open.

Millman eased past wild card Taro Daniel, 6-4, 6-0, to secure his first tour-level semifinal berth of 2019. After falling in the first round of the US Open, Millman returned to the ATP Challenger tour to win the title in Kaohsiung.