There is already a semifinalist in this edition of the US Open and it is the second seed, Novak Djokovic, who beat Taylor Fritz in three sets, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-4, in 2 hours 35 minutes of game. "This is the sport that has given me so much in my life," said the winner, at the foot of the track. “Coming from a war-torn country with many hardships, I am very fortunate to have had these opportunities for international travel and sporting success. I am very grateful to the sacrifice of my parents. Without your support I would not be here."
The umpteenth heat wave that hits the region was the great protagonist of the game. When the 36-year-old veteran and Fritz, 25, came out for the first of the US Open men's quarterfinals, Arthur Ashe's roof was semi-closed to prevent direct sunlight from touching the players ( a concession they did not make with the previous women's match, in which Coco Gauff defeated Jelena Ostapenko in full sun).
The match started with an option for the American on Novak's serve, but the number 9 let it slip. The games were long and the blows powerful. He first broke the Serbian and immediately recovered the Californian. "Ice, please" Djokovic asked, in the exchange. "Ice, please," he insisted, in a desperate tone. The condensed heat on the field was visibly affecting the serbui, who on several occasions fanned his face with his hand and gesticulated as if he were short of breath. Despite this, the man from Belgrade took the lead again on the scoreboard with breaks in the fourth and sixth games and easily scored the first set.
It was Novak who took the lead in the second set as well, taking Fritz's serve in the third game. "Hold on," they yelled at Taylor from their box. And Fritz tried to do it, with four break points at 3-1, but the Serb denied him every one of them and maintained the advantage in the following games to take the set.
During the fourth set, it was Fritz who had the first chance to break, in the sixth game, but he was unable to convert his two options, a fact that Djokovic celebrated with a great whoop. And the next game it was he who broke. Taylor repeated options and this time he was able to convert one, equaling the set at 4, to the delight of the public. But the joy did not last long when he saw how his rival returned to take his serve at 4-5. It only remained for Novak to serve for the match. Fritz did not give up, he had another break point and raised a match point. Nothing could do against the second, and gave victory to the Serbian.
Djokovic continues to accumulate records every time he steps onto a court. With this victory in his 75th match at Ashe, his tenth in a row on hard court, the veteran tennis player becomes the player with the most Grand Slam semifinals (47) and with the most New York Open semifinals (13).
To reach the final, he will have to face another local player, the winner of the cross between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. The Serbian can be convinced: he has a streak of 29 games without losing to an American. “I am going to watch that game from the sofa, with my physio, popcorn and a drink (water with lemon). I will play against another American and I have to prepare myself for what comes. Both Shelton and Tiafoe are very charismatic and very dynamic. And we'll see what happens on Friday!”
