Djokovic raced to a 5-0 first-set lead and earned a set point after all of 19 minutes, but Monfils held there.
Advertisement
Djokovic should win his third US Open title.
Nishikori produced a dynamic, steely display to knock out Andy Murray in the quarter-finals on Wednesday but the sixth seed may have felt the after-effects of that encounter as he struggled with cramp in the latter stages.
Bruno Soares, of Brazil, left, talks with doubles partner Jamie Murray, of the United Kingdom, during the men’s doubles semifinals against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, of France, and Nicolas Mahut, of France, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in NY. But Nishikori fought back and broke Wawrinka later in the set to put the players back on serve and cut the deficit to 3-2. Chuck in Wawrinka’s ideal Major final record – played two, won two – and it’s tough to label the Serb an outright favourite. But with Wawrinka saving six straight break points during one stretch in the second set, Nishikori’s legs started to go.
Early in the evening, Nishikori looked sharp.
They swapped breaks in the next two games before Djokovic struck again at a 4-2 up was within touching distance of victory and this time he didn’t let Monfils back in.
So the fluky way his U.S. Open has gone is a benefit, he figures. ESPN tennis analyst John McEnroe went as far as calling his play “unprofessional”.
The first set was where things started going insane.
“In the end of the day, I thought it was a good match”.
Any thoughts of a comeback, however, were quickly stifled as Djokovic broke for 3-2 and then again to secure victory as the tournament’s most freakish contest was finally brought to an end.
The once-dominant Big Four act is no more. A leaping Monfils banged a backhand down the line that collided with the tape, changed direction and plopped over. There were moments in which it appeared that Monfils’ attempts to get into Djokovic’s head would succeed. “I got a little bit of my instinct and flair”.
In the semi-finals played under tough humid conditions, Djokovic defeated Frenchman Gael Monfils, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach his seventh final at the event, while Wawrinka beat Kei Nishikori, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 to enter the US Open final for the first time.
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.
Sunday’s final will pit Djokovic against the victor of tonight’s match between No. 3 Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK’-ah) or No. 6 Kei Nishikori (kay nih-shih-KOHR’-ee).
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, left, greets Gael Monfils, of France, after winning their semifinal match of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in NY.
The players took a brief break in the third set to allow the roof to close, as rain was approaching the area.
Ultimately, Djokovic prevailed in four sets.
With Djokovic on the edge of securing the first set, Monfils made a decision to mix things up, crowding the Djokovic serve by moving into the court for returns and chipping balls back off-pace. Serving for the first set, there came a point where it became very evident that Monfils had given up on the set and was trying to hand it to Djoko on the platter.
Advertisement
Ahead of Sunday’s men’s final, German tennis star Angelique Kerber, the current world No. 1 in the women’s division, will face off against Czech Karolina Pliskova in Saturday’s women’s singles final.
