Novak Djokovic is hoping to be the US Open’s disruptor after setting up a semi-final blockbuster against Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic overcame Taylor Fritz and a rowdy New York crowd on Tuesday night, quelling the American’s fightback to keep alive his chances of a 25th grand slam title.
Fritz had hoped to finally secure a first victory over Djokovic at the 11th time of asking but the majority of the big moments went the way of the Serbian, who triumphed 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-4 after three hours and 24 minutes.
That earned Djokovic a date with Alcaraz on Friday night as he bids to break through the semi-final barrier for the first time at a grand slam this season and prevent a third major final in a row between the Spaniard and Jannik Sinner.
“We don’t need to spend words about the two of them,” said Djokovic. “We know that they are the two best players in the world.
“Everybody is probably expecting and anticipating the finals between the two of them. I’m going to try to mess up the plans of most of the people.”
The 38-year-old pointedly stressed that a key question mark will be over his fitness.
Djokovic stretched out his neck and shoulders towards the end of his victory over Fritz and must hope his body does not let him down again, as it did at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.
Fritz reached his first slam final in New York last year, losing to Sinner, and a packed crowd in the vast Arthur Ashe Stadium tried to inspire him to break his Djokovic curse.
Djokovic was bothered on numerous occasions by noise from the fans while he was serving, putting his finger to his lips and blowing ironic kisses after winning the second set.
In the third he remonstrated with umpire Damien Dumusois and Fritz threatened to take the contest to a fifth set, but ultimately Djokovic had the answers.
“I didn’t feel my shots as well as I have a few days ago,” added the Serbian. “It’s one of those days where you just have to grind. You just have to play with your heart and fight. That’s what really gave me the win in the end.”
Djokovic made a strong start and Fritz did not find a way into the match until his opponent served for the first set, with the American unable to take any of five break points.
It was to become a recurring theme. More chances came and went in the second set before Djokovic broke to lead 4-3 only for Fritz to finally convert at the 11th time of asking and level at 5-5.
The fourth seed then played his worst game of the match to immediately hand back the advantage, with Djokovic moving into a two-set lead.
Noise from fans between Djokovic’s first and second serve came to a head in the fourth game of the third set and it rattled the Serbian, who was broken for the second time.
Fritz had the home fans believing he could turn things around as he took the match to a fourth set but Djokovic seized his opportunity in the 10th game.
Fritz bravely saved two match points and had a point for 5-5 but instead Djokovic created a third chance and the American double-faulted.
The win means 38-year-old Djokovic, who did a celebratory dance as an eighth birthday present to his daughter Tara back home, has tied Jimmy Connors’s record by reaching a 14th semi-final here, also becoming the oldest man through to this stage since the American in 1991.
Fritz was left cursing what might have been, saying: “I just can’t come out of those first two sets down two sets to love. I need to play better. That’s the thing that’s frustrating is I don’t need to play that much better to make it happen.”
Alcaraz continued his march through the draw with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 victory over 20th seed Jiri Lehecka, who beat him in Doha earlier this season but got nowhere near on Arthur Ashe.
“I think that today I met the grand slam version of Carlos,” said the Czech. “We played very good rallies but unfortunately he was everywhere. He always managed to do something special.”
Alcaraz is yet to drop a set during the tournament and this match again saw him pull off the sort of apparently impossible shots that he loves as much as the crowd.
A forehand winner down the line played while he was moving backwards into the backhand corner drew a long admiring glance, while Alcaraz put his finger to his ear after winning a key point in the second set with a lunging drop volley.
He did not face a break point in the match and wrapped up victory inside two hours.
On Lehecka’s admiration, he said: “It feels great hearing those words from my opponent today. I think today I just played an almost perfect match.
“So, playing a quarter-final of a grand slam, I’m feeling that way. It seems like, OK, just two more steps to do, and let’s see what happens. I’m just feeling great and hungry to make it.”
PA
