Djokovic has now set up a clash against Frenchman Gael Monfils, who reached the last four following a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over compatriot Lucas Pouille. Monfils has yet to beat Djokovic in 12 career meetings. “Especially the hard court (season) this year, maybe he’s playing the best tennis he ever played”.
Advertisement
During his on-court interview, Djokovic was posed the question on everyone’s mind by ESPN’s Brad Gilbert: “What in the world is going on?” “I think I have no shame to say it”. Though the 30-year-old Monfils has not dropped a set in NY thus far, he totes an 0-12 record against Djokovic and will come in as the heavy underdog. He never had won a U.S. Open match or any match that lasted five sets until last week; his 4-hour-plus win against Nadal on Sunday was his third five-setter in a row.
Monfils repeatedly used lobs to make Pouille run. “And the lob obviously is the best shot”. No. 4 Nadal lost to Lucas Pouille in the fourth round, while No. 2 Murray dropped his quarterfinals showdown with Kei Nishikori.
Djokovic will once again dictate the tempo against Monfils and reach the finals at the U.S. Open.
“I’m winning more, you know, more matches”, Monfils said. Here and in the upcoming match nesmotryana unbelievable game during the whole tournament, it seems that Gael will not be able to withstand the equal Serb Novak and will miss the final.
“I’m in the semifinals, so that’s what matters for me the most”, Djokovic said after quarter-final foe Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired with a left knee injury while trailing 6-3, 6-2. She reached the final in 2009 and 2014, losing to Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams respectively, while she also lost to Serena in the semi-finals in 2011.
The German second seed showed remarkable powers of resilience to retrieve three breaks of serve against 33-year-old Vinci in the first set. She missed a forehand long, then netted a backhand to get broken there – and that was just the beginning of her collapse. That resulted in a double-fault that ceded the set.
Things went from bad to worse for the 31-year-old former Australian Open finalist in the next when he was broken in the third game and the rampant Djokovic got the insurance of a double break following a lengthy seventh game and an ace sealed the set. Williams brandished her racket and yelled at the line judge, and the point she was docked for that ended the match. In fact, he says, he’s never been a showman at all but just a player who’ll do anything to try to win a point. She was bothered over the past two weeks by an injured left Achilles tendon and back pain, but still reached her fourth quarterfinal in NY. The Latvian was hampered by injury during the match and Wozniacki, 26, made light work of her opponent.
Keber, who will be world No. 1 if she wins the tournament, was ruthless in the second set as she outclassed the Italian with a 6-0 rout that lasted for 24 minutes.
Advertisement
Women’s second seed Angelique Kerber has moved into the semifinals at the U.S. Open, beating seventh seed Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-love.
