The listless returns that Novak Djokovic sent back in answer to Marcos Baghdatiss serve in the first game of their semi-final at the Dubai tennis championships were a dire portent of what was to follow,but the crowd kept their faith in the defending champion from Belgrade. With chants of Nole,Nole ringing out even when the Serbian shanked a forehand horribly long or flailed wildly at a volley only to see it sink into a corner of the net,they did their best to send out a bit of energy on to court. In the eighth game,after a string of errors from the world No. 2 gave away the break he had carefully put together in the previous game on Baghdatiss serve,Djokovic retreated into the back of the court for a breather. While he gathered his nerves and contemplated the next course of action,the stands decided to make some noise. With their loudest cheer yet,they threw out words of advice,declarations of love,and encouraging predictions as the Serbian reappeared and walked back to his place on the baseline. He went on to lose the set and was teetering on the verge of an exit with some scary moments in the second,but Djokovic fought back from the brink to beat Baghdatis 6-7 6-3 6-4 win,repaying the faith the fans had shown in him. After staying tough in the later part of the second and getting a break just in time to force a decisive set. Forcing Baghdatis to scramble for each point,he managed a break early in the third,and when he finally sealed the match as one of the Cypriots returns landed long. In the first semi-final,Russian Mikhail Youzhny held back the challenge of Austrian Juergen Melzer,defeating him 7-5 7-6.
