Britain’s Kyle Edmund stayed upright, but was handed a tennis lesson during a quick-fire a three-set match in the fourth round, but then there was another retirement by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, calling it quits at the start of the third set with Djokovic having won the first two.
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Djokovic, in his 10th straight NY semi, should have won in half the time against the world No12, who was appearing here for the first time at this level.
Somehow, the greatest player in the world was reduced to being the party of the other part in this U.S. Open men’s semifinal Friday afternoon in the steam bath of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Unfazed by the news, the German then went out and won the second semifinal to advance to her third Grand Slam final of 2016.
The rivalry between Wawrinka and Nishikori is more balanced. No. 10 Gael Monfils No. 3 Stan Wawrinka vs. It’s his seventh appearance in the finals at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic was the more energised, breaking for 3-1 in the fourth set before double-faulting for a sixth time to hand it straight back. “And I try my best, ‘” Monfils said in his postmatch news conference.
Novak Djokovic usually has all the answers on the court, but he didn’t know what to say soon after his semi-final win over Gael Monfils at the US Open on Saturday morning (AEST).
“Specifically, before this Grand Slam, there were things that were happening with my health and my physical state that were, you know, making me a little bit skeptical about how the thing was going to go during the tournament”, he said. “I keep asking myself the same question”, he said, laughing.
“The way I bounce back from that is I take another T-shirt from my bag and I change then I feel better”.
The score may have looked fairly routine but Novak Djokovic’s semifinal win over Gael Monfils at the US Open was downright freakish. He appeared to be acting like he was not interested, and suddenly whip big shots.
“As I always say, the change is guts…” What I’ve got is my speed. “I got to change a little bit”, Monfils said.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is defending his title at Flushing Meadows, beat Gael Monfils in a four-set 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory to progress to the finals for the second year running.
The French player had lost all 12 career meetings with Djokovic prior to Friday and after he slipped 5-0 down in the first set, he slammed on the brakes in a desperate effort to turn the tide.
Djokovic entered Friday having enjoyed the easiest path to a major semifinal in the almost half-century of the Open era: Three of his first five foes pulled out of because of injuries.
“He [Monfils] seems more focused at this time of his career”.
On Sunday, Djokovic will try for his third U.S. Open championship and 13th major trophy overall, facing No. 3 Stan Wawrinka or No. 6 Kei Nishikori.
A trainer works on the left shoulder of Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament against Gael Monfils, of France, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in NY.
Djokovic endured problems of his own during the match as the Serb again had to take treatment in the latter stages, this time on both of his shoulders.
Djokovic ripped his white shirt off as he dropped the third set.
Tenth-seeded Monfils has lost twice to Djokovic in NY – in five sets in the first round in 2005 and a straight sets defeat in the 2010 quarter-finals.
Monfils talking about Djokovic maybe being too good for him is evidenced by Nole’s 13-0 record against him all-time.
Still, after trailing 0-2 in the third, Monfils showed signs of life, partly by serving-and-volleying – which he hadn’t done in his previous three matches – and broke Djokovic twice to go up 5-2.
“I could have expected it in a way”, Djokovic said of the odd match, without a trace of anger.
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Jean Gachassin, head of France’s tennis federation and normally passionate in supporting French players, was left shaking his head in disbelief at Monfils’ performance.
