At one point, it got so bad that the crowd (who had been relentlessly rallying Monfils on all night) started to “boo” the Frenchman.
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Monfils said a lack of match play won’t make Djokovic any less unsafe.
Djokovic, 29, will be seeking his 13th career Grand Slam title and third of 2016, having already won the Australian and French Open crowns.
Nishikori, meanwhile, was denied a chance to improve on his runner-up to Marin Cilic in 2014.
Novak had become the first man to reach a grand slam semi-final courtesy of 3 walkovers/ retirements, and in layman’s terms that basically meant that for a player of his quality, he’d barely broken a sweat. In the victory, Wawrinka won 76 percent of his first serve points and 50 percent of his second serve points. That tank tactic helped him save three more set points then dragged Djokovic into the malaise as he double-faulted away the break.
Down 2-5, Djokovic took massage treatment on his left shoulder during the changeover then staved off a set point in odd four drop shot game.
The Serb, however, would quickly get back into rhythm, clinching the first set and then going on to demolish Mofils in second. But Wawrinka broke back, saved four break points at 3-all, another pair at 4-all, then broke Nishikori in the last game to grab the second set 7-5.
They seemed to be on course for a third meeting in the final at Flushing Meadows, but Pliskova eliminated Williams in the semifinals, after beating her sister, Venus, in the fourth round. He will be competing in his seventh Grand Slam final in two years.
Win or lose, Djokovic will have secured his No. 1 ranking well into 2017 and cemented his standing as the best and most dominant player on the tour.
“The guy is too good”, Monfils said.
Replying to a question in his post-match press conference about McEnroe’s criticism towards him, Monfils said, ‘I’m very sad to learn that such a legend criticize me, because at the end what I can say to John is, you know, John, I want to be the best.
“I’m competing, you know. I try my best”. I say playing tennis because that is exactly what Djokovic was doing.
The once-dominant Big Four act is no more.
“Now I want to share with them all my daily life and what’s important to me – my values, my beliefs, and my habits – and also introduce to them all the unbelievable people that are always next to me”. What I’ve got is my speed.
“I got a little bit of my instinct and flair and to slow the game down, to make him play, to make him come in”.
Djokovic regained the upper hand, as he so often does, reaching his 21st Grand Slam final and seventh at the US Open with an eventful and, at times, freaky 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Monfils on Friday. Behind 5-2 in the third against Monfils, he got his left shoulder massaged.
With Monfils showing little interest and even less effort in dropping the opening two sets on a hot and muggy day, the unhappy Arthur Ashe Stadium fans voiced their displeasure as they showered the Frenchman with jeers and boos.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on third seed Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final after both men won semi-finals in punishing conditions.
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.
World No 1 Djokovic takes a 12-0 career lead over Monfils into their semi-final on Friday night, while Nishikori looks to build on his shock five-set win over Andy Murray against Wawrinka.
Monfils – now 0-13 against Djokovic – felt he needed to do something different at 0-5.
A more orthodox approach saw Monfils break back for 2-2 and again for 4-2 in a third set that saw Djokovic receive treatment on his left shoulder.
The Women’s Singles Final between soon-to-be world number one Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova will be played late tonight.
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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.
