Novak Djokovic’s odd US Open took another weird turn as he advanced to the semi-finals on Tuesday when Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired at the start of the third set, trailing 6-3 6-2.
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After Djokovic held to take the set, Tsonga double-faulted to open the third and called it quits.
The first two sets of their quarterfinal went Djokovic’s way, 6-3, 6-2. 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.
It was the third time in five matches that an opponent’s injury has worked to Djokovic’s advantage, after his walkover into the third round where Mikhail Youzhny retired after just six games.
Facing an opponent who occasionally played as if he had somewhere better to be, Novak Djokovic reached his 21st Grand Slam final and seventh at the U.S. Open with a freakish 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Gael Monfils on Friday.
Swiss third seed Wawrinka, playing in his third semi-final in four years, ended Juan Martin del Potro’s magical run in the early hours of Thursday morning with a four-set win. It’s very hard to remember a match where he wasn’t hitting the ball clean, maybe one or two a year.
He reached the final of the claycourt Monte Carlo Masters, and has been a model of consistency in the hardcourt buildup to the US Open with a title in Washington and a semi-final appearance in Toronto in July.
“Humid”, he said. “That’s all we were thinking about and feeling the last couple of sets”.
“I think when I dive on the court, I do not dive for people”.
Tsonga needed a medical break for attention to his left knee after falling a double break down in the second set. Djokovic provided added unexpected spice by requiring treatment on his left shoulder when he slipped down 2-5 and then saved a set point in the eighth game. “He is better than me”.
It looked lightweight but carried a mighty punch as the Frenchman saved four set points in the sixth and seventh games.
With the win, the 29-year-old world No. 1 advanced to Friday’s U.S. Open men’s semifinals for the 10th straight year.
Monfils is no easy mark, being the tournament’s No. 10 seed.
Monfils is in excellent form in recent months, he won the tournament in Washington, and on the other competitions played in the quarter-finals at least.
“I’m happy with my performance”, Monfils said. “I’ve beaten pretty much everyone in the draw before”.
“He’s better player than me, definitely”, said Monfils who has yet to drop a set but hasn’t faced a seeded player.
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Monfils will now face the dominant Novak Djokovic, a two-time champion today in only his second Grand Slam tournament semi-final in Flushing Meadows.
