Japan’s Kei Nishikori notched one of the biggest wins of the year’s grand slam with his five-set upset of world number two Andy Murray in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open but that four-hour victory took its toll on him on Friday.
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Djokovic, who played before Wawrinka’s match with Nishikori, was taken to four sets by Frenchman Gael Monfils in one of the stranger matches of the tournament. “So I know right now, having two grand slam titles, an Olympic medal and a Davis Cup under his belt, he believes in himself more”.
Djokovic admitted he was “completely caught off guard” when Monfils, down 0-5 in the first in 15 minutes, stood lackadaisically in the court and began chipping the ball back.
Novak Djokovic has won a freaky first set against Gael Monfils in their U.S. Open semifinal. “I have a good game, but I still have much work ahead and I must get down to it quickly”. He had a set point at 5-3, failed to take and had another meltdown, going 0-40 down on his own serve before clawing it back to take as insane a set of tennis as he’s ever played. Yes, I’m competing. I made a sign to my coach [to] say, ‘OK, I’m going to Plan B.’ ” – Gael Monfils, who appeared to feign indifference in an attempt to lull Novak Djokovic into mistakes.
Wawrinka echoed the Serb’s point after his own battle, saying: ‘It’s really humid, really hot.
The Frenchman’s unusual approach appeared to distract Djokovic, whose own form fluctuated before he completed a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2 victory.
After saving a bevy of break points, he broke in the 12th game to level the match at two sets apiece.
Then came this contest, which topped them all for oddness, drawing some jeers and whistles from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium: The 10th-seeded Monfils, normally a showman and in only the second Grand Slam semifinal of his career, seemed to just give up at times.
While Djokovic has enjoyed a walkover and two injury-forced retirements on his way to the final, Wawrinka had to save a match point against unheralded Dan Evans in the third round.
“Definitely I try to get in his head, try to create something new for him”, explained Monfils.
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.
“I thought, at times, that he was maybe behaving a little bit – for some terms and judgments – unacceptable”, Djokovic said. Soon, Djokovic led 2-0 in the third, breaking on a double-fault that drew boos and whistles. “But I guess that was part of his tactics”.
The world number one will now face either Stan Wawrinka of Kei Nishikori in Sunday’s final.
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The Swiss got the better of Andy Murray’s conqueror with a 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 win in stifling conditions in NY, to reach the showpiece of a Grand Slam for the third time in his career. “So I don’t have any concerns”.
