Djokovic faces Wawrinka after Monfils’ antics

Wawrinka will be going for his third major championship Sunday against the top-ranked Djokovic, whom he defeated in last year’s French Open.

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.

“I did rip it once, and then the second time just got out of hand in heat of the moment”, Djokovic said. I had to wait. The 12-time major champion had triple set point while serving at 5-1, and Monfils was seemingly trying to give away the game.

The two-time major victor Wawrinka managed a break in the fourth game of the second set.

With Djokovic on the edge of securing the first set, Monfils chose to mix things up, crowding the Djokovic serve by moving into the court for returns and chipping balls back off-pace.

Once again, Wawrinka clinched the set on Nishikori’s serve when the Japanese lunged to hit a forehand volley on a rifled passing shot and sent it long.

“I watch the finals here so many times – Roger, Novak, Rafa (Nadal) – they are awesome champions and to be play against Novak, past year at the French, we play so many matches at a grand slam so to play him is something special”.

Whether or not those injuries will tell when the two face in the final remains to be seen, but Sunday promises an intriguing contest as both athletes fight to be as close to peak condition as possible.

“I think I’m gutsy to try that, you know, against the number one of the world”.

When Wawrinka rattled off the first eight points of the fourth set to hold and break Nishikori at love and then backed it up for 3-love, it seemed like he would coast to the finish.

September 10, 2016: Caribbean-roots, French-born tennis pro, Gael Monfils, fought hard yesterday – through hot and humid conditions and against the world’s number one in the semi-finals of the 2016 U.S. Open that he managed to reach again for only a second time.

Miscue after miscue arrived from Djokovic, and Monfils won three games in a row, before eventually dropping a set for the first time all tournament.

His lethargic approach continued in the third set and prompted boos from the crowd.

Though the Shimane native grabbed an early lead with aggressive play, charging the net and controlling rallies to go up a set and a break, he failed to build on the advantage. Behind 5-2 in the third against Monfils, Djokovic got his left shoulder massaged. I think in the middle of the second, that’s when I start to change a little bit who’s the player on the court. “But. when you play Novak, even playing your best tennis, you can also lose”. “If he said that you have to believe him I guess”. You stand in the middle of the court. “And he also started to get exhausted a little bit”.