Djokovic tops Federer’s conqueror for 11th US Open SF in row

It was the battle of the best players in the world and the dominant figures in NY in the last 10 years, with Djokovic prevailing 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 in three hours and 21 minutes to lift his 10th Grand Slam crown and only the second in NY despite playing six finals there.

He lifted the trophy in 2011 and 2015.

The thirteen-time Grand Slam title victor will now take on Kei Nishikori of Japan to book his berth in the second consecutive Grand Slam final of the year. “I like to play always with the No. 1of the world, doesn’t matter the tournament or the conditions or the weather”.

The conditions at Arthur Ashe Stadium were so rough that Millman requested a break at 2-2 so he could change his clothes, which were soaked with sweat.

Nishikori won the rematch of the 2014 final with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4 victory in a match that lasted 4 hours and 8 minutes. He has a great two-handed backhand, great footwork and is one of the quickest players on tour.

It’s another scorching hot day in NY and that means the extreme heat policy is back in effect for the third consecutive day at the U.S. Open.

Roger saved a set point in the ninth game to extend the set but Djokovic held at love at 5-4 to seal the opener in 41 minutes.

Things started well for the two-time victor as he raced into a 3-0 lead, and despite Millman’s best efforts he could not claw the break back as the Serb remained comfortable on serve.

Initially, it looked like the match might follow a similar storyline from 2014 when seventh seeded Cilic took the opening set from a sluggish Nishikori.

The No. 21 seed continued his strong season after returning from a wrist injury that forced him to miss the U.S. Open past year and will play No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic on Friday. That was at Wimbledon in 1995, and both Kimiko Date and Shuzo Matsuoka lost in that round. It’s great news we’re both in the semis.

“With tennis, each time you have to start from scratch and if you don’t have a whole lot of money, which I definitely didn’t, starting from scratch and going back to the grind is physically and mentally quite challenging”. Williams has won further 73 career titles so far in her career that has spanned over two decades. “Sorry”, Osaka said after her quarterfinal victory.

Millman, who had performed a major turnaround by knocking out Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer from the tournament, suffered a crushing 3-6, 4-6, 4-6 defeat at the hands of his Serbian opponent to storm into the semi-finals.

Djokovic threatened to pull away all through the match but was never able to shake off Millman.

The crisis soon deepened for Tsurenko, who had needed the best part of three hours on Monday to beat Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in a match where she nearly collapsed due to heat exhaustion.

He said: “He’s got one of the best two-handed backhands in the game and very quick”.

Deep in the second set, Djokovic, the Serb with perhaps the strongest return game in history, had failed to convert 13 consecutive break points.

The American fired 22 winners and six aces past Suarez Navarro who had knocked out former champion Maria Sharapova in the previous round.

But after reaching the final in Monte Carlo, the French Open fourth round and the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Nishikori believes an elusive first grand slam is within reach.