Novak Djokovic wins a three-set battle with Andrey Rublev to set up Paris Masters final against Grigor Dimitrov

PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic was made to fight for more than three hours by Andrey Rublev in their semifinal match on Saturday before earning the right to play for a record-extending seventh title at the Paris Masters.

Djokovic overcame a slow start to rally past his Russian opponent 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 and maintain his perfect record in the semifinals at the indoor tournament. The Serbian player will take on Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday's final.

"Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the match," Djokovic said. "He was playing an extremely high level that he possesses, but today he was off the charts, honestly. I don't think I've ever faced Rublev this good."

Dimitrov overcame strong resistance from seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3) victory.

The road to the final has not been an easy one for Djokovic, who defeated defending champion Holger Rune in three sets in the quarterfinals and also came out on top of a three-set contest in the third round.