Novak Djokovic took a flawless 12-0 record against Gael Monfils into the US Open semifinals on Friday – and that undefeated streak remains soundly intact.
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Djokovic beat 10th seed Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2 in NY, with the Frenchman adopting unusual tactics to try and counter the world number one.
A medical timeout for Monfils kept Djokovic waiting and the heat took its toll on both players, but there was to be no unlikely comeback as last year’s champion took a 3-1 lead and responded from being broken straight back to reach a seventh final in NY.
Wawrinka recovered from a slow start to secure a 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 triumph against the Japanese sixth seed Nishikori in NY.
Stan Wawrinka will face Novak Djokovic for the U.S. Open title in a rematch of last year’s French Open final.
“It’s going to be interesting for sure”, said Wawrinka, adding, “We have played many times against each other”.
Monfils is on an impressive 19-2 run since Wimbledon but admits he’s the underdog against Djokovic, the 2011 and 2015 champion playing in a 10th successive semi-final in NY.
The strategy paid off as Monfils reeled off three games in a row.
“This is one of the craziest matches I’ve ever seen”, McEnroe said. When they met here over five sets 11 years ago, Monfils complained Djokovic’s four stoppages for cramp constituted gamesmanship.
The U.S. Tennis Association held a news conference during the U.S. Open on Friday to announce its partnership with the team event, which will debut in Prague in September 2017. And indeed, the crowd booed again.
McEnroe said: “Monfils is bordering on unprofessional”.
Djokovic rips his shirt during his semifinal match against Gael Monfils at the U.S. Open.
The Frenchman appeared to be tanking toward the end of the first set by standing very close to the service line on Djokovic’s serve and basically looking disinterested.
“He started believing in himself”. I won’t say I work on the trick shot, but it’s like I think physically I’m one of the best.
“The way I bounce back from that is I take another T-shirt from my bag and I change then I feel better”.
It’s been hazardous to one’s health to get drawn to face Djokovic during this tournament: The defending champion and No. 1 seed has enjoyed an unprecedentedly easy path to the final four at Flushing Meadows, needing to complete only two of five matches because of injuries to three foes. A player who didn’t make his first Grand Slam semifinal until age 28 will now seek his third major title in as many years.
In a weird match that was circus-like at times, the No. 1 seed and defending champion beat a sometimes-disinterested Monfils, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in extremely hot and humid conditions in Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to Sunday’s final, where he will meet the victor between No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 6 Kei Nishikori. After two hours and 32 minutes that seemed twice that long, the victor was nursing two sore shoulders, which might yet hobble him on Sunday, and a brain that surely was hurting as much.
They split the first two sets, and Wawrinka is leading 4-3, on serve, in the third.
He broke Wawrinka again to open the second, but the Swiss was gradually beginning to find his range and regained the break. Suddenly up 4-3 in the set, Pliskova turned to her coach up in the stands and yelled, pumping her fists. Monfils smiled as Djokovic double-faulted to hand him the break. Against Murray, that seemed to swing momentum toward Nishikori, making the conditions more favorable for his game.
“When I tried to play “original” tennis, he kills me”.
“Definitely I try to get in his head, try to create something new for him”, explained Monfils.
“The way I bounce back from that”, he said, “is take another T-shirt from my bag”.
Gael Monfils, left, congratulates Novak Djokovic after losing to the world No. 1 for the 13th time in as many career matches.
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Nishikori, meanwhile, was denied a chance to improve on his runner-up to Marin Cilic in 2014.
