Novak Djokovic sets up Alcaraz showdown after reaching the 14th US Open Semi-Final

Forty minutes after his talent Great competition under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium seemed to be undone Novak Djokovic. After a highest start, Djokovic’s first service had suddenly left him. His ground regions did not start spit -offered mistakes. He was confronted against the wall with five breaking points while serving for the first set.

Every time he came close to falling into the abyss, allowing his distinguished opponent to return to the game, Djokovic called on a spectacular reaction. That Nederveless, coupling game would define its performance, because Djokovic would hold a lively late comeback from a Vecht Taylor Fritz, who had been the superior player for important parts of the game, and an always unmanageable New York crowd to reach the semi-final of the US with a 6-3, 3-5, 3-5-4.

Again, Djokovic has shown that he continues to perform at a level higher than any other player at his age in the history of sport. All the oldest man in the open era to reach the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in a year, the 38-year-old has now reached the semi-final of every big event.

“Incredibly close match, it really was everyone’s game,” said Djokovic, who saved 11 of the 13 breaking points. “I thought I was lucky to save some crucial breaking points in the second set. I think he was the better player most of the second and third set. In these kinds of matches few points decide the winner. Fortunately it came to my side.”

This victory also reinforces the superiority of Djokovic about the vast majority of the field; This year he is the third best player in the world on the Grand Slam tournaments and defeated three top five opponents-carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and now Fritz during those runs. However, while he continues his search for a 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic will now compete against one of the two players who will continue to define this new era of Herentennis: Alcaraz.

Earlier on Wednesday, Alcaraz, the second seed, came to the semi -final with a straight sets of Jiri Lehecka.

A look at Fritz’s mental state at the start of one of the biggest matches of his career was perhaps delivered by his clothing. The American went to Arthur Ashe Stadium that wore his bandana upside down, which means that the logo “ssob” reads instead of “boss”. Fritz has been in one of the best form of his life and settled admirably as a consistent top five player and the No. 1 American, but against the very best his shortcomings are increased and exposed. Here his attempts ended to achieve the biggest victory of his match in tears.

Although Fritz was unable to take advantage of his five breaking points late in the opening set, the complexion of the game had changed at the start of set two. Suddenly the American was in almost each of the return games of Djokovic, his consistent recurring Djokovic forced Djokovic to work for all his service games, while Fritz spent his. Djokovic broke first and had the opportunity to serve the second set on 5-4, but Fritz withdrew him by finally at his 11th breaking point. After all the work it had taken for Fritz to finally break the serve of Djokovic, he immediately lost his nerve and closed a messy, rushed service game with a double error to bring the break back for 6-5.

In recent years, Djokovic’s status as the older statesman of the Tour has offered him an increasing amount of public support. Apart from a few individuals, the New York was reasonably subdued by two sets. But when the defeat may came closer to Fritz, the crowd placed itself more and more in the game. On 1-2, the serve of Djokovic was repeatedly disturbed by the crowd and his protests to the referee caused an even greater retribution of the crowd. Fritz fully benefited, broke in that game and drove the momentum to a fourth set.

Although Fritz has striking physical limitations compared to the very best players in the world, his dedication and fighting cannot be denied. He started a tense, hectic fourth set in control, his enormous first serving impenetrable and dicling from the baseline. For the most part of two sets, he had been the better player, but while he had to stay at 4-5 in the game, the pressure backed on his shoulders.

While Fritz missed the first and became increasingly passive under stress, Djokovic, the master of the big moment, refused to let him pass by while taking another supreme victory and offered himself a shot at one of the new leaders of the sport he dominated for years. “At the end of the day, the victory is for it,” said Djokovic. “I am really proud of the fight I put in. I always wear my heart on my sleeve for this sport, so I still enjoy it.”