World No.1 Novak Djokovic dug out of an early hole on Thursday evening to down Dutch star Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 6-1 for a place in the semifinals at the Geneva Open here.
 
The 27-year-old Griekspoor could have won the first set as he looked the better player on the court. The Serbian served at 4-5, 0/40 in the opening set, a game during which he fended off four set points. The top seed escaped with either an ace or a hefty first serve that resulted in a missed return from the Dutchman.

In the ensuing set, it was the World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings who jumped to a 0/40 lead, finally breaking Griekspoor after two deuce points. Djokovic then held to love to close the topsy-turvy first set.