Wawrinka, a two-time grand slam champion, leads the beaten 2014 US Open finalist 3-2 in head to heads.
Advertisement
Djokovic, meanwhile, is seeking his 13th major championship, which would break a tie with Roy Emerson for fourth-most in tennis history among men, behind only Roger Federer with 17, and Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal with 14 apiece. “Now I know him a little bit better”, Siegemund said during the trophy ceremony.
It has been the oddest of tournaments for world No. 1 Djokovic.
In the men’s singles, it was the third time in five matches that an opponent’s injury worked to Djokovic’s advantage, after his walkover into the third round when Mikhail Youzhny retired after just six games. Tsonga condemned twice on the opening point of the third set before eventually retiring with a knee injury in the quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But Monfils came back to take the third set 6-3, and Djokovic got treatment on his shoulder during a couple of changeovers.
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.
“I had phases when I was entertained by what he’s doing and phases where I was upset with myself for allowing him to do whatever he does to disturb my game and my rhythm”, said Djokovic.
The Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka in action in 2014.
“I won’t win a match like that but I can win maybe 15 minutes, two more games, one more game”.
Having advanced to the semi-final without dropping a set, Monfils did not wait long to surrender his first as he went 5-0 down in just 16 minutes.
“It’s never nice to be on court in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam and retiring after a few sets”. I never experienced something like this to have three retirements on the road to the semi-finals. “If he said that you have to believe him I guess”.
Playing steadily, and with only a dose of the spectacular, Monfils reached his first major semifinal since 2008 by beating an error-prone Pouille 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an all-French quarterfinal. So he transformed back into his entertaining, athletic self.
He might hit a ball through his legs for no compelling reason, jump off the back wall to retrieve a ball, or dive while reaching for a drop shot.
But Djokovic broke again for a 4-2 lead and then closed out the match by breaking Monfils with a forehand victor.
Instead, the Frenchman remained on his feet, and a vast majority of his shots were the stuff of a technical tennis manual rather than a YouTube highlights reel.
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. But the stakes will rise significantly now.
“He’s one of my best friends”, said Monfils about Tsonga. I think he’s a great person. He is better than me. A half-fit player might push through a niggle against other opponents, but everyone knows that you don’t beat the world No?1 without running at 100 per cent.
Advertisement
“You have so many up-and-coming young women already on the tour, and then to see this wave of great junior girls coming behind them is really, really encouraging”, said Martin Blackman, the U.S. Tennis Association’s player development manager.
