Sunday’s final will pit Djokovic against the victor of tonight’s match between No. 3 Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK’-ah) or No. 6 Kei Nishikori (kay nih-shih-KOHR’-ee).
Advertisement
The 26-year-old sixth seed ran out of energy against third seed Stan Wawrinka, falling 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 on a hot, humid day at Flushing Meadows.
However, Wawrinka’s biggest win as a professional came over Djokovic a year ago in the French Open final, and Wawrinka has won his past 10 finals in a row.
“I thought at times that he was, you know, maybe behaving a little bit – for some terms and judgments, unacceptable – but, again, I guess that was part of his tactics”, said Djokovic.
In a weird and disjointed match played in brutal heat and humidity, Djokovic deconstructed the flat Frenchman, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, to advance to his sixth US Open final in the last seven years.
“I’ve seen strategy changes”, ESPN analyst John McEnroe said on the broadcast, “but this tops everything”.
In that final, Djokovic will have to cross the Wawrinka hurdle, after the Swiss topped Kei Nishikori, the man who upset the pre-tournament favourite Andy Murray in the quarterfinals.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “First question is, like, ‘You’re not competing?'”.
“Kei is a tough player and he played well from the beginning”.
“I was definitely a little bit exhausted, especially in the end”, Nishikori told reporters.
“I think I should not have allowed him to come back to the match after two sets to love up and 2-love in the third”, Djokovic said. It is not academic, but I try to win.
It was as Djokovic served for the set that Monfils appeared to stop trying as he waved a forehand long, patted back a single-handed backhand and generally loafed around the baseline like a player entirely disinterested in competing. I think it worked.
“If I would get to the net he would go for the passing shot and hit some impossible gets and balls”.
Monfils admitted he came into the match thinking it was a potential strategy for him to use, referencing the fact he’d never beaten Djokovic in a singles match before, and said he even motioned to his coaches that he was shifting to “Plan B” after falling down 5-0 in that first set. I think the crowd disliked his efforts towards the end of the second set.
“You can not play that well coming into a semifinal and put in an effort like that for two sets”, even with the stifling weather, former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski said on Eurosport. Jeers and whistles rained down from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Monfils appeared to give up at times. He had just one ace in the four sets and finished with seven double-faults.
Though Djokovic was in cruise control through the first two sets, the journey to his 19th Grand Slam final in his last 25 majors became jarring.
“Everyone is like, ‘Play tennis like this”.
When Monfils dumped his eighth double fault to gift wrap the break at the start of the third set incited the wrath of the crowd, which jeered and booed the man who has been a beloved competitor in NY.
The later the round, the better he seems to play.
Djokovic’s fortunes took a nosedive, first as he called for treatment to his left shoulder and then as three break-back points slipped by, and with them the set, prompting him to rip his shirt in frustration.
But Djokovic broke again for a 4-2 lead and then closed out the match by breaking Monfils with a forehand victor.
Advertisement
“I’m really excited. I watched the final so many times here”.
