Djokovic tops Federer’s conqueror to reach 11th straight U.S. Open semi
NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic put aside all of it, from his opponent’s unheard-of, middle-of-a-set chance to change out of sweatsoaked clothes and shoes, to consecutive time violations because he let the serve clock expire, to the 16 break points he wasted. All that mattered, really, was that Djokovic managed to do what Roger Federer could not two nights earlier: beat 55th-ranked John Millman at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic moved a step closer to a third championship at Flushing Meadows and 14th Grand Slam title overall by eliminating Millman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to get to the tournament’s semifinals for an 11th appearance in a row. He sat out last year because of an injured right elbow.
The No. 6-seeded Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, had been drawn to face Federer in the quarterfinals. But Millman scuttled that showdown by stunning the 20-time Grand Slam champ in four sets in the fourth round on a hot and humid evening that Federer said sapped his energy and made it hard to breathe.
This night was cooler, as the temperature dipped into the 70s F, but the humidity was above 80 per cent, so with Millman drenched, he sought permission for a wardrobe change at 2-all in the second set. It was odd enough to see a player be allowed to do that during, instead of after, a set, but even odder for it to happen after an even number of games, rather than at an odd-game changeover.
“I was struggling. He was struggling. We were all sweating. Changing a lot of T-shirts, shorts,” said Djokovic, who will face 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori on Friday. “Just trying to find a way to hang in there.”
When Millman apologized for leaving the court at that juncture, Djokovic replied, “I’m fine to have a little rest,” then sat down on his sideline bench without a shirt on and cooled off.
“Definitely not easy conditions to play in,” Djokovic said, “but same for both players.”
Considered the best returner in the game, he kept accumulating chances — and then failing to cash them in. Djokovic was able to only come through on four of his 20 break points.
There were other issues for him, too, including in the third set when, ahead by a break, he was called by the chair umpire for allowing the 25-second serve clock, making its Grand Slam debut at this tournament, run out on back-to-back points. After the first, he double-faulted, and he wound up getting broken there.
But Djokovic broke back in the match’s next-to-last game, then served out the victory at love.
Earlier Wednesday, Nishikori defeated the man he lost to in the final four years ago, Marin Cilic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4.
Add that to No. 20 Naomi Osaka’s 6-1, 6-1 win over unseeded Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, and Osaka and Nishikori give Japan semifinalists in both men’s and women’s singles at the same Grand Slam tournament for the first time in history. “It’s great to see,” said Nishikori. Osaka, who is 20, will face No. 14 Madison Keys of the U.S. tonight.