Djokovic will play for a place in the title decider against another Frenchman in 10th seed Gael Monfils, who beat compatriot Lucas Pouille in straight sets.
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Prior to his bowing out, Tsonga’s left knee was wrapped by a trainer, and the Frenchman appeared ready to play on before telling the chair umpire he would not continue after a serve. “He’s a fighter. this is something I’m sure he didn’t wish for”. I put myself in a position to be two matches away from the title.
“I love watching Gael”, Djokovic said.
Andy Murray, by contrast, has already played nine hours and 32 minutes, with the Scot’s quarter-final match against Kei Nishikori on Wednesday still to come. “I didn’t have much time on the court overall before the fourth round”, said Djokovic who came into the tournament suffering from a wrist injury. “Now I’ve reached the semi-finals and I’m feeling fresh, healthy and I’m playing better and better”.
Nishikori reached the semi-final – his first at any Slam since he finished runner-up in NY in 2014 – with an impressive 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 triumph over world number two and 2012 champion Murray. In the second round, Jiri Vesely pulled out before their match due to fatigue from a five-set match a round earlier.
“It’s a court I love”, he told the NY crowd.
“Of course I was a bit exhausted today”, Pouille said.
“I played so many matches this year, ” said Djokovic, who had his new friends Ben Stiller and Hugh Jackman in his box. Instead it became the third match out of five in which Djokovic watched as his opponent retired.
“I’m happy with that and where my game is”.
Wozniacki and Kerber are joined by friendship, Polish roots and cosy coffee chats. However, despite saving two break points in the very next game, Djokovic broke once more and was now serving for the set.
German Angelique Kerber reached the semi-finals to step up her bid of becoming world No.1 with straight-set win over Italian Roberta Vinci.
Up next for Monfils will be a matchup against No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, or No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whose quarterfinal was scheduled for Tuesday night. With Tsonga serving a 3-4 but facing a break point, Djokovic stretched to hit a running forehand – for a victor past a stunned Tsonga.
Monfils is yet to drop a set in NY and his longest match so far has lasted a brisk two hours and six minutes.
Monfils was in control throughout against the 22-year-old Pouille, who was coming off an epic fifth-set tiebreaker win over 14-time major victor Rafael Nadal.
Most observers expect a Djokovic-Murray final, which would be their third Grand Slam final of the year after the Serb beat the Scot for the Australian and French Open championships.
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No. 2-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany, who is making serious push for the top ranking, got through a tight first set and eased through the second against last year’s finalist, Roberta Vinci of Italy, winning, 7-5, 6-0, in a quarterfinal.
