Djokovic advances to 8th final at Flushing Meadows
Del Potro wins other semi when Nadal forced to retire
NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic served impeccably and used his usual brand of court-covering defence to reach his record-tying eighth U.S. Open final by beating Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Djokovic missed the tournament last year because of an injured right elbow that eventually required surgery. But he is back to his best as he bids for his third title at Flushing Meadows and 14th Grand Slam trophy overall.
He will face 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s final.
Del Potro advanced when defending champ Rafael Nadal retired from their semifinal because of a painful right knee after dropping the opening two sets.
Nadal is the first man to retire from a semifinal or final at the U.S. Open since the professional era began in 1968.
Del Potro was leading 7-6 (3), 6-2 after two hours of play Friday when Nadal shook his head and said he had to stop.
“That was not a tennis match at the end. Just one player playing, the other staying on one side of the court,” Nadal said. “I hate to retire, but staying one more set out there, playing like this, would be too much for me.”
Del Potro is back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since he won the 2009 title at Flushing Meadows.
The No. 1-seeded Nadal has a history of tendinitis in his knees and he said he felt a problem early in the first set. He was visited by a trainer at the changeover after the match’s seventh game and tape was applied below the joint.
At the next changeover, though, Nadal pulled off the tape.
After the third game of the second set, he had a medical timeout so the trainer could massage his right leg and once again apply tape.
But Nadal’s movement was clearly limited and by the end he was walking with a bit of a hitch in his gait between points.
At one juncture, he approached the chair umpire to complain about a late call from a line judge and mentioned in passing that he was going to have to quit. Soon enough, he did just that.
“Of course, it’s not the best way to win a match,” said del Potro, who hugged Nadal when it was over. “I don’t like to see him suffering on court today. So I’m sad for him.”
For del Potro, it was an odd way to return to an important summit. Nine years ago, he stunned Nadal in the semifinals and Roger Federer in the final at the U.S. Open at age 20. He was considered a rising star at the time, but a series of wrist operations — one on his dominant right arm, and three on his left — slowed his career and kept him out of 2 1/2 years’ worth of major tournaments.
Del Potro has returned to the height of his powers and the height of his sport — up to a career-best No. 3 in the rankings.
“It means a lot to me,” del Potro said. “I didn’t expect to get in another Grand Slam final.”
All four semifinalists were past finalists at Flushing Meadows, the first time that’s happened at the U.S. Open since 2011.
Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez ousted in girls’ quarterfinals
NEW YORK (CP) — Canada’s Leylah Fernandez’s U.S. Open run ended in the girls’ quarterfinals.
The 15-year-old from Montreal lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to No. 4 seed Maria Camila Osorio Serrano of Colombia on Friday. Osorio Serrano converted on 4-of-7 break-point opportunities.
Earlier Friday, Fernandez, the No. 8 seed, beat Taisya Pachkaleva of Russia 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the completion of a suspended third-round match. Fernandez reached the semifinals of the French Open earlier this year.