“I had to wait”, Wawrinka said.
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“To tell myself I’m going to be in the final is something insane”, he said. “It was a great theater experience today”.
He will now take on the world number one on Sunday in a repeat of the 2015 French Open final won by Wawrinka.
Djokovic cheerfully admitted that Monfils got into his head for one or two games.
And he was the stable one on court. More examples of playing possum?
Most players try to lift their level against champions.
Winless in 12 prior matches with Djokovic, Monfils defended the tank as a tactic after the match saying he had to take radical action after getting blown out. “If he said that you have to believe him, I guess”. The guy is too good. “And the only reason I say bordering is because it’s working”. It’s tough, you know.
“I’m competing, you know”.
“The 6’4” Frenchman’s astounding athleticism can make him a magical player, but his tendency to push and run rather than assert his gifts offensively can make him a maddening player as well.
“Is not academic, but I try to win”.
Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead Friday, with Monfils looking extremely tight and struggling with double-faults.
Nishikori’s last gasp was a break in the fifth game, but a quick break back and a hold at love and Wawrinka was back in charge. Bizarrely, the anti-effort play in which Monfils poked flat-footed shots and appeared disinterested in competing actually earned him two more break points-and the annoyance of Djokovic. His counterintuitive tactics and occasionally casual approach at times drew pointed criticism from ESPN commentator John McEnroe. Djokovic shook off the break points, eventually serving out the 36-minute opener.
And its the Japanese who has the better of the opening stages.
The victor will face No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the title on Sunday.
The second edition of the new Laver Cup exhibition event, pitting six men’s tennis players from Europe against six from the rest of the world, will be held in the United States in 2018.
Monfils was on the verge of losing the first set in what seemed like a NY minute.
“It’s part of the sport”. So it gets very quick to people. He just gets much better.
In the second set, Monfils lost five consecutive games, and limped afterward. Asked what health worries he might have, Djokovic replied, “Thankfully, it’s behind me”. Sometimes it can disturb you; sometimes it can bring a smile to your face.
Novak Djokovic’s unusual US Open path took another odd turn Friday as the defending champion defied stultifying humidity and the controversial tactics of Gael Monfils to book a title showdown with Stan Wawrinka.
Ultimately, however, the 29-year-old survived again and he is now firm favourite to clinch his third US Open title and third out of four majors this calendar year. “I have watched the final so many times here and to play Novak Djokovic is going to be something special”. After giving back an early break in the fourth Djokovic had treatment on his right shoulder, but he broke twice more to close out the win.
Stan Wawrinka is one set from his first U.S. Open final.
In the late going, Monfils was leaning on his racket between points.
Wawrinka, who saved a match point against Britain’s Dan Evans in the third round here, will hope that his sheer strength could be a significant factor against Djokovic, who came into this tournament nursing a left wrist injury and has appeared to suffer a number of physical issues subsequently. Monfils did not move for the ball.
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Gael Monfils says he was just trying to change up his strategy against Novak Djokovic, and he’s sorry John McEnroe thinks that’s “unprofessional”. “So I have an extra day now to recover and get ready for the finals, which is definitely where I desire to be when I come to a Grand Slam”.
