Novak Djokovic reasserted his dominance over fourth seed Taylor Fritz with a 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-4 victory on Tuesday to set up a blockbuster U.S. Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.
The 38-year-old arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium having beaten Fritz in all 10 of their previous meetings but had to battle hard at times to move past last year’s runner-up and stay on track for a record 25th major title.
After a strong start, Djokovic came under intense pressure in the ninth game of the match and saved five breakpoints to close out the opening set on serve before a stunning crosscourt winner from deep sealed another tight hold in the next set.
Fritz, the last American man left in the draw, finally broke on his 11th attempt but failed to make the most of it and soon found himself two sets down.
The American showed great resolve to win the third set with improved serving but that was it for the comeback.
Djokovic held to love for a 5-4 lead in the fourth set and squandered two match points in the following game before closing it out to make it 16-0 against Americans at the U.S. Open.
REUTERS