Djokovic stands alone in U.S. Open semifinals

Rest of ‘ big four’ either injured or ousted

NEW YORK• The familiar name “Novak Djokovic” rests in its usual place at the top of the draw, but suddenly it seems sort of lonely, because the phenomenal “big four” has spent this U.S. Open seeming almost human.

As the men’s semifinals go on Friday, it will mark the first Grand Slam time since the 2010 French Open that only one of the “big four” occupies a last four. Back then in Paris, Rafael Nadal found himself amid No. 7 Robin Soderling (who had ousted Roger Federer in the quarterfinals), No, 17 Tomas Berdych ( who had removed Andy Murray in the fourth round) and No. 27 Jurgen Melzer (who had shocked Djokovic in the quarter-finals).

These days in New York, there’s actually a stronger batch with rankings so unforgiving to attain: No. 1 Djokovic along with opponent No. 12 Gael Monfils, plus No. 7 Kei Nishikori and No. 3 Stan Wawrinka.

Long, long ago, they played the 2004 French Open and somehow managed to carry off the event and give away trophies with semifinals lacking any of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray. They had three Argentines — Gaston Gaudio, Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian — plus Tim Henman, the interloper from Oxfordshire. Gaudio won from a world ranking of No. 44 and said, “I don’t know how, but I won.”

Federer won Wimbledon and the mind- boggling big four built its last-four hegemony from there — through 51 straight Grand Slams, until the plurality finally stopped on Wednesday when Nishikori won a madcap quarterfinal with Murray 1- 6, 6- 4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Nishikori got this far even though he played just as many Rio de Janeiro matches as the Olympic champion Murray, winning a bronze.