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US Open: Novak Djokovic is one win away from a calendar grand slam and 21st major title



He wanted the total 5 units to do it, however the world No. 1 from Serbia defeated No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 within the US Open semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday.

Djokovic, 34, is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 main singles titles — probably the most in males’s tennis. He’ll face Russian and world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev within the closing on Sunday.

On the court docket after Friday’s win, Djokovic stated: “There’s just one match left. All in, let’s do it. I’ll put my coronary heart and my soul and my physique and my head into that one. I’ll deal with the subsequent match like it’s the final match of my profession.”

The final man to finish the calendar grand slam — successful the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the identical 12 months — was Rod Laver in 1969. Laver tweeted an image of himself watching Friday’s semifinal, saying “Nice to be again in New York, watching the historical past channel.”

Six years in the past, Serena Williams tried to finish a calendar grand slam, which hadn’t been accomplished on the ladies’s circuit since Steffi Graf in 1988. Graf additionally received gold in singles on the Olympics that 12 months, making her the one tennis participant — male or feminine — to finish a so-called golden slam, successful Olympic gold along with all 4 majors.

Williams went on to be shocked within the US Open semifinals by Roberta Vinci.

Within the early hours Saturday, Djokovic referenced Williams’ run, saying: “I keep in mind I received 2015, I received that 12 months’s US Open. I used to be speaking to Serena. She was very emotional about every part that was happening. I can relate to what she’s been going by means of proper now. I perceive it now. Clearly, when you’re in that state of affairs, you possibly can actually comprehend what a participant goes by means of.”

Djokovic stated he understands why Williams wished to keep away from questions on her loss, and spoke of the stress high gamers really feel to maintain successful.

“On the finish of the day, it’s a must to exit on the court docket and ship. You are anticipated to at all times win. For an amazing legend that she is, she at all times has that expectations from everybody, together with herself,” he stated. “It is no totally different with me.”

In his post-match press convention, Zverev stated of Djokovic: “If you happen to take a look at the stats, in case you look the pure recreation of tennis motion, he is the best of all time.

“There’s a purpose why he is received 20 grand slams. There is a purpose why he is spent probably the most weeks at world No. 1… I believe mentally he is the perfect participant to ever play the sport. Mentally in crucial moments, I’d reasonably play in opposition to anyone else however him.”

Djokovic performs Medvedev on Sunday. The 25-year-old defeated twelfth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in straight units earlier Friday, reaching his third grand slam closing. He has dropped only one set on this 12 months’s US Open.

This will probably be Medvedev’s second US Open closing, having misplaced to Nadal in 5 units in 2019. He misplaced the Australian Open closing to Djokovic in straight units earlier this 12 months.

After his semifinal win, Medvedev stated he realized so much from that match in opposition to Djokovic in Melbourne.

“He was enjoying totally different than the matches he did earlier than me, and I used to be sort of not prepared for it. So now I’m,” Medvedev stated of Djokovic’s ways.

Of the ultimate, he stated: “It may be extra attention-grabbing by way of tactic what I’ll put together .. Irrespective of the rating, I am simply going to show up the warmth, if I can say, and attempt to do my greatest, much more than what I did in Melbourne.”

On the Tokyo Olympics this summer season, Djokovic — who had already received the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — had the chance to go for the golden slam.

As a substitute, he left with out a medal after dropping to Zverev within the semifinals. It was Zverev, a finalist eventually 12 months’s US Open, who went on to win the gold medal within the best-of-three-sets format.





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