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BASEL, Switzerland : Novak Djokovic stayed atop the ATP win list with his 69th victory of a draining campaign Friday to reach the Swiss Indoors semi-finals, then admitted he's dreaming of a December vacation.
The Serbian second seed defeated Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, the sixth seed, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 after trailing a set and a break.
"A proper off-season should be a month and a half or so," Djokvic said of a break which will amount to a month for those elite players participating in the eight-man Wold Tour Finals in London from November 22.
"I don't know what I'll do (in December) but I know I have to rest - that is just as important as work.
"I've played the most matches this season. We have some important meetings coming up in Paris (next week's Masters) and London and we need to discuss the future of our sport," said the member of an ATP Player Council headed by Roger Federer.
"The sponsors and tournaments don't want to see top players pulling out at the last minute due to injury (from a long season). Hopefully we can work something out."
Djokovic worked out Wawrinka after one set of misery, with the big-hitting Swiss taking the early initiative.
"I didn't feel so great at the start. I needed time to get my engines running," said the 22-year-old Djokovic.
"At the start of the match it was tough for me to get moving. Stan was up a break at 4-3, it was a matter of a few points in the match. I held my nerve in those moments. I was able to play every point and wait."
Djokovic is competing for the first time in the lion's den of hometown hero Federer, playing for his own semi-final spot later against Russian Evgeny Korolev and aiming to lift his fourth straight home trophy.
Marco Chiudinelli was later also aiming for Swiss success in his quarter-final with Richard Gasquet.
Radek Stepanek dimmed the qualifying hopes of Croatian Marin Cilic for a last-gasp spot in the season-ending finals with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 upset.
Croatia's Cilic stands provisional 12th in the points race as he fights for one of a pair of slots remaining open in London.
But after a promising start, Cilic fell victim to the court craft which has made this 30-year-old Czech opponent such a threat.
Stepanek, playing Basel for the first time, completed his turnaround win in two hours, overcoming ten aces from Cilic and breaking on all four of his opportunities.
Cilic played the final last week in Vienna and was hoping for a running start this week heading into the Paris Masters from Sunday, the last event of the regular season.
Stepanek now stands 44-18 for a year in which he earned the third and fourth ATP titles of his career in Brisbane and San Jose.
Cilic, 21, is still riding the best season of his young career, 46-20 with two titles.
- AFP /ls
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