Djokovic to play Alcaraz in US Open semifinal after defeating Fritz

Novak Djokovic acceptable up a titanic US Open semifinal with Carlos Alcaraz arsenic the Serbian prima kept his bid for a grounds 25th Grand Slam firmly connected track.

The 38-year-old Djokovic precocious to a record-equalling 14th US Open semifinal connected Tuesday with a four-set triumph implicit 4th effect Taylor Fritz, eliminating the past American successful the men’s draw.

Djokovic’s 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 triumph saw him amended to 16-0 against US opponents successful New York, arsenic helium reached the past 4 of a large for the 53rd time.

“It was an incredibly adjacent match. It was truly anybody’s match,” said Djokovic, who besides drew level with Jimmy Connors for the astir US Open semifinal appearances.

“I thought I was truly fortunate to prevention immoderate important interruption points successful the 2nd set. I deliberation for astir of the 2nd and 3rd sets, helium was the amended player.”

Fritz saved 2 lucifer points successful a choky 4th set, earlier sealing his ain destiny with a treble fault.

“That past crippled was nerve-racking. A pugnacious 1 for Taylor to decorativeness with a treble fault; helium didn’t merit that,” said Djokovic.

Djokovic and Alcaraz volition quadrate disconnected for the archetypal clip since the Australian Open quarterfinals successful January, erstwhile the Serbian won successful 4 sets to instrumentality a 5-3 borderline successful their rivalry.

Friday’s brushwood is their 5th astatine a Grand Slam, but archetypal astatine Flushing Meadows. Djokovic has won each 3 past meetings connected hard courts.

Djokovic volition play successful his 14th US Open semifinal – and 53rd large semifinal wide – erstwhile helium takes connected Carlos Alcaraz connected Friday [Clive Brunskill/Getty Images via AFP]

Djokovic spars with crowd, wears down Fritz

Djokovic broke Fritz consecutive distant wrong a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium arsenic helium zipped into a 3-0 pb successful the archetypal acceptable and brought up acceptable constituent connected his opponent’s service successful the eighth game.

Fritz resisted and piled connected the unit successful the pursuing game, earning 5 interruption points.

He could not convert, though, arsenic Djokovic relied connected his trademark grit to foil Fritz, including successful an astonishing 25-stroke rally.

Djokovic yet held to clinch the set, but Fritz carved retired much chances successful the 4th and sixth games of the 2nd set.

His nonaccomplishment to capitalise allowed Djokovic to again prehend the inaugural by breaking for a 4-3 advantage. Fritz broke backmost with Djokovic serving for a two-set lead, lone to tamely surrender his ain service with a double-fault successful the ensuing game.

Djokovic made nary mistake this clip to pouch the acceptable and mockingly blew kisses to the assemblage arsenic helium walked to his chair.

But helium began to get riled up with the pro-Fritz enactment consenting their antheral backmost into the contest, prompting Djokovic to plead with the umpire to bash much to quieten the crowd.

His absorption dipped fleetingly, and Fritz broke to nudge 3-1 up and unit a 4th set. It went connected service until Djokovic brought up 2 lucifer points with Fritz trying to enactment alive.

Fritz scrambled to prevention both, but Djokovic earned different changeable and the American double-faulted to seal his rival’s transition to the past four.

Djokovic, left, shakes hands aft defeating Fritz successful their quarterfinal lucifer astatine the 2025 US Open [Clive Brunskill/Getty Images via AFP]

Alcaraz demolishes Lehecka

Earlier connected Tuesday, Alcaraz, who has yet to driblet a acceptable astatine Flushing Meadows successful 2025, cruised into the semifinals, demolishing Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 connected Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz had the assemblage successful the thenar of his manus arsenic helium fired disconnected 28 winners and ne'er faced a interruption point, putting connected yet different astir pristine performance.

Alcaraz broke successful the archetypal game, helped connected his mode by a brace of Lehecka treble faults, and the Spaniard got the assemblage going arsenic helium triumphed successful a thrilling, cat-and-mouse speech astatine the nett successful the 10th game, sending a backhand victor streaking past the Czech.

The 2022 champion kept the momentum going successful the 2nd set, converting a interruption constituent astatine the nett successful the archetypal game, and Lehecka became visibly agitated arsenic helium went down different interruption with a treble responsibility successful the seventh game.

Alcaraz smiled successful disbelief arsenic helium nailed a bid of precise shots to acceptable up a interruption constituent successful the seventh crippled of the last set, but Lehecka dug successful to hold.

Alcaraz fto retired a triumphant cheer arsenic helium prevailed successful a 12-shot rally connected interruption constituent successful the ninth crippled and deployed his play plaything solemnisation to the delight of chap Spaniard and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was successful attendance.

“I conscionable played a truly – oregon astir – cleanable match,” helium said. “I’m conscionable feeling large and bare to marque it.”

The five-time large victor has lone been breached erstwhile truthful acold successful the tourney and could retake the fig 1 satellite ranking from Italy’s Jannik Sinner, though helium is trying not to deliberation astir it.

“If I deliberation astir the fig 1 spot excessively much, past I’m going to enactment unit connected myself, and I don’t privation to bash that,” helium said.

Alcaraz, astatine conscionable 22, is successful the semifinals astatine a expansive slam for the ninth time. Only Rafael Nadal, with 10, had much earlier turning 23 [Kena Betancur/AFP]