The US Open witnessed remarkable journey of Novak Djokovic to the semi-finals for the 13th time in his career, where he extinguished the challenge posed by American No. 1 Taylor Fritz this past Tuesday. In this impressive feat at the US Open , Novak Djokovic not only advanced to his 47th Grand Slam semi-final, surpassing Roger Federer, but he also etched his name in ATP rankings history as the first man to achieve 250 career victories over top-10 players. His victory against Fritz was a commanding one, with a final scoreline of 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, all played out on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Despite being the ninth seed, Taylor Fritz hit more winners than Djokovic, registering 33 to Djokovic’s 25. However, the Serbian maestro’s relentless play wore down Fritz , evident from the 51 unforced errors in Fritz’s game. Notably, at the age of 36, Djokovic becomes the oldest semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows since Jimmy Connors, who achieved this feat at the age of 39 back in 1991.
Crowd Support
Speaking about the enthusiastic support for the home player, Djokovic acknowledged that it’s only natural for the crowd to back their own. He expressed his comfort with the vibrant atmosphere at the tournament and thrived on the energy it provided. Djokovic also reflected on his extensive history on this court, recalling numerous epic matches, and looked forward to another thrilling contest in the coming days. He acknowledged the significance of every opportunity he gets at this stage in his career, recognizing that, at his age, he’s uncertain about how many more chances he’ll have.
Djokovic, who is chasing his 24th Grand Slam title to equal the record, is set to face another American player in the semi-finals. The unseeded Ben Shelton created an upset by defeating his fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2.