Djokovic sweats out a win
NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic sweated it out from behind the baseline to beat Australian John Millman 63, 64, 64 at the US Open yesterday and set up a semifinal with Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Djokovic, a twotimes champion at Flushing Meadows, struggled with the humidity at Arthur Ashe Stadium but kept his cool mentally, saving the only break point he faced in the first set and wrapping up the opener in an hour.
‘‘[I was] very tested,’’ Djokovic said. ‘‘Almost three hours. It’s midnight now. Credit to John for putting up a great battle.’’
Millman is used to the searing heat in his native Brisbane, but needed to leave court to change with the score level at 22 in the second, telling the umpire he was unable to put the ball in his pocket because his shorts were soaked through with sweat.
The US Tennis Association said in a statement that Millman was sweating so profusely that the moisture dripping on to court had made the surface too dangerous to play on.
‘‘These night matches, the humidity goes through the roof,’’ Millman said. ‘‘It is tricky, but it’s the same for both people. You’re dripping.
‘‘But that’s no excuse or anything. I’d play in a swimming pool if I got to play a quarterfinal every week at a Grand Slam. That would be pretty fun.’’
Millman, who beat Roger Federer in the previous round, returned after a brief interval but found no joy against Djokovic’s serve and the Serb broke the Australian in the penulti mate game before serving out the second set.
The match was marked by long rallies, with 57 of the pair’s exchanges stretching to more than nine shots.
Djokovic broke early to take a 31 lead in the third set but a lapse in concentration allowed Millman to draw level.
The Serb was given a time violation warning and doublefaulted to offer Millman a break point opportunity before losing his first serve after running down the shot clock a second time.
A forehand error from Djokovic let Millman level at 33 but the sixth seed carved out three break points in the next game, converting the third before serving out the match and sealing the win with a backhand volley in 2hr 48min.
Nishikori ground out a 26, 64, 76(5), 46, 64 win over Marin Cilic, gaining a small measure of revenge on the man who crushed his grand slam dream in the 2014 final.
The victory also completed a historic day for Japanese tennis, with Naomi Osaka routing Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 61, 61. The pair became the first Japanese man and woman to reach the semifinals of the same grand slam.
It was a much different outcome from 2014 when the bighitting Cilic floored the Japanese counterpuncher 63, 63, 63 to claim the US title.
It has already been a successful return to Flushing Meadows for Nishikori, who missed the US Open last year with a wrist injury that saw his ranking plunge and put him on the comeback trail that included playing Challengerlevel tournaments.
But after reaching the final in Monte Carlo, the French Open fourth round and the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Nishikori believes an elusive first grand slam is within reach.
‘‘Yeah, always excited to play Novak because it’s great challenge for me,’’ Nishikori said.
In the other women’s quarterfinal yesterday, American Madison Keys clinched her second consecutive US Open semifinal berth by using her powerful serve and fiery forehand to get an edge on 30th seed Carla Suarez Navarro and win 64, 63. — Reuters