That, then, is us. Thanks all for your company, and join us again tomorrow for more fun and frolics. Peace out.
Djokovic now has 47 Grand Slam semi-final appearances, beating Roger Federer’s record. Tennis has give him so much, he says; coming from war-torn Serbia, it was hard growing up and even getting to tournaments, so he thanks the great and knowledgeable people he met, thanking his parents for their love – that’s what he thinks when he hears those numbers. He doesn’t know how long he’s got left so he’s trying to enjoy himself as much as he can, and enjoys the atmosphere on court even when the crowd are backing his opponent. He likes the energy, using it as fuel, and he’s played so many great matches but can’t wait for another. He’s had a haircut and changed his shirt a couple of times, but though it’s humid, that’s why the players train, and he quotes a song played at change of ends, grabbing the mic and shouting “You’ve gotta fight for your right to party!” He’ll enjoy watching Shelton play Tiafoe, sat on his sofa with a drink – water with lemon – and thinks both players are passionate and dynamic. It’ll be great to watch them, and we’ll see what happens when one of them meets him in the semis.
Fritz tried everything, but the ball kept coming back, and on the big points, Djokovic was impregnable.
Novak Djokovic [2] beats Taylor Fritz [9] 6-1 6-4 6-4
Fritz nets trying to return a mahoosive second serve, and that is Djokovic into the last four! Fritz left it all out there and still couldn’t get close to the goat; next up for him it’s either Shelton or Tiafoe [10]. All the best, lads.
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Fritz 1-6 4-6 4-5 Djokovic* A tremendous backhand return from Fritz, who comes in and soon despatches an overhead; he’s competing his arse off out there, but can’t do anything about the high-kicking ace out wide which follows; 15-all. Djokovic, though, then goes long … before responding with another fine serve, backing it up with a forehand that Fritz can only swat wide for 3o-all. Again, though, Fritz sticks in there, getting back a huge forehand then, when Djokovic comes in off a poor approach, passing him, and that’s break point. A service winner follows, of course it does, then another colossal delivery facilitates an emphatic overhead, raising match point … but Fritz hangs in the rally, the Djokovic goes long on the backhand. So Djokovic makes advantage again courtesy of another great serve, this time out wide…
*Fritz 1-6 4-6 4-5 Djokovic As Morrissey once warbled, stop me if you think you’ve seen this one before. Djokovic makes 0-15 then characteristically impregnable de-fence prompts a backhand sliced wide, and seconds later it’s 15-40. Fritz, though, sends a fine serve way out to the forehand … and of course the riposte is telling, switching momentum in the rally and Fritz can’t cope, again hitting wide. Djokovic is djust a djoke, and in 90 seconds’ time he’ll serve for the match.
Fritz 1-6 4-6 4-4 Djokovic* Thanks Bryan, and this feels like it’s five to done. But Fritz makes 0-15 just to show he’s still in dis ting … then sends a loopy return a foot or so long. Fritz, though, is doing all he can, unloading the suitcase on the forehand and forcing Djokovic to stretch and balloon over the baseline, sent wide to the backhand side. And have a look! He takes control of the next rally, then rushes in to animal an overhead, raising two break-back points in the process. But after nailing a decent shoulder-high return, Djokovic wallops towards the body and going for even more, he can’t control his forehand; one chance gone. And the second goes when a 117mph second serve – not the first time Djokovic has pulled off that trick – is just about returned, but the rally is already lost. What, though, is this?! Djokovic thinks the next return is going out, perhaps distracted by a shriek from the crowd, by the time he reaches it all he can do is send back a moon ball, Fritz wins the exchange, and then Djokovic goes long on the forehand. There is the break back, and Djokovic goes off to remonstrate with those who distracted him – by the looks of things, people wearing t-shirts displaying his phizog.
*Fritz 1-6 4-6 3-4 Djokovic After three straight stress-free service games for Fritz to open this third set, the American is pressured to deuce by his relentless opponent and his own error-strewn play. After a couple of deuce point, Fritz makes back-to-back unforced errors off his backhand to gift Djokovic the break. The match and a place in the US Open semi-finals seems all but a handshake away. And with that, I’ll hand back off to the great Daniel Harris.
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Fritz 1-6 4-6 3-3 Djokovic* The No 2 seed nets a forehand from the baseline to go down love-15 and Fritz bounces on his toes along the baseline, knowing this could be one of his last opportunities to get his teeth into Djokovic’s serve. Djokovic makes it 15-all with an overhand winner, but Fritz gets the better of his foe over a 14-shot exchange – one of the longer rallies of the match – for 15-30. Now Fritz pounds a crisp winner into the corner for 15-40 and a double break point. Djokovic erases the first after Fritz misplays a drop shot, then the second with a cross-court forehand winner from the back of the court. Turns and screams to the crowd. Deuce. From there Djokovic rattles off a pair of quick points to hold from 15-40 down.
*Fritz 1-6 4-6 3-2 Djokovic Fritz holds from love-15 down, cracking his 24th, 25th and 26th winners including a 123mph ace out wide. On we go on level terms in the third.
Fritz 1-6 4-6 2-2 Djokovic* Another straightforward hold by Djokovic. Fritz struck a pretty forehand passing winner along the way, but only after his foe had raced out to 40-love. Still looking positive and in the fight is the American, but he’s in with a more talented opponent that’s proven a matchup nightmare for him down the years.
*Fritz 1-6 4-6 2-1 Djokovic An easy hold for Fritz, whose serve has really picked up over the past few games. He’s won 10 of 12 points on his serve including his sixth and seventh aces of the afternoon.
Fritz 1-6 4-6 1-1 Djokovic* A glimmer of hope for Fritz as Djokovic misfires from the baseline to go down love-15, the first time since early in the second that he’s been behind on his serve at any point. Fritz gets it to 30-all, but Djokovic holds easily from there, sealing it with a 115mph ace down the middle.
*Fritz 1-6 4-6 0-1 Djokovic After going off court for a break between sets – and who can blame them amid these 91F (33C) temperatures with 49% humidity – the players return and Fritz opens the third set with an uncomplicated hold of serve capped by a backhand winner from the baseline.
Fritz 1-6 4-6 Djokovic* Four staccato points and another drama-free hold at love for Djokovic, who’s taken a two-sets-to-none lead on Ashe. The No 2 seed, who upped his first-serve percentage from 71% in the second from 46% in the first, won 18 of 22 points on his serve in that set including the last 11 on the trot.
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*Fritz 1-6 4-5 Djokovic Another 30-all service game for Fritz, who has had agonizingly little breathing room on the day. He pounds a 132mph ace down the middle for 40-30, but follows it with his second double fault of the afternoon for deuce. Tight moment. But Fritz gets through, cracking a 133mph serve (his fastest of the day) that Djokovic can’t return into the court followed by a 122mph ace down the tee.
Fritz 1-6 3-5 Djokovic* Djokovic breezes through a love hold and Fritz will serve to stay in the second set.
*Fritz 1-6 3-4 Djokovic Fritz is pushed to 30-all on his serve, but holds comfortably from there. He’ll need to make progress on Djokovic’s serve sooner rather than later. The Serb’s record in five-set matches when winning the first two sets is 274-1.
Fritz 1-6 2-4 Djokovic* Another straightforward hold for Djokovic, who’s won seven of eight points on his serve, the lone blip his fifth double fault. He’s two games from a two-sets-to-none lead. Must-have service game for the American forthcoming.
*Fritz 1-6 2-3 Djokovic Fritz holds for only the second time today, but not before he’s made to fight back from 15-30 for deuce. From there he cracks a forehand winner from the baseline followed by a 125mph ace out wide.
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Fritz 1-6 1-3 Djokovic* Fritz started this match like he believed, but I’m afraid it no longer looks that way, and as I type, Djokovic lands an ace on the T for 15-all. But a terrific forehand, also onto the line, gives Fritz 15-30 and Djokovic is looking a little slow all of a sudden. In comms, they think he’ll be calling the trainer soon, and suddenly Fritz is attacking every forehand, pounding two in a row to raise two break-back points. The first disappears via service winner, but when the next delivery hits the net, Djokovic is slow to return to his mark. For all the difference it makes! A 115mph second serve begins another sapping exchange, Fritz eventually yielding … but facing another, he yanks a shoulder-high forehand cross-court for advantage! So Djokovic unleashes a leaping forehand from corner to corner, then another, and Fritz, forced to change direction returning to the middle, falls. However! Djokovic nets, and here’s a fourth break point of the game, a big serve out wide allowing a telling forehand, daring Fritz to send a winner down the line, the only shot available to him … and he can’t. Ach, another gruelling rally, and this time Fritz nets a backhand, and you fear for him if he can’t take this game … which he can’t Djokovic laying a drop which he reaches but sends over the sideline. In an hour and eight minutes, Fritz has won just two games, and though it’s been closer than that suggests, he’s still getting a tousing I’m afraid. Righto, I’m off for a break; here’s Bryan Armen Graham to chill with you for the next bit.
*Fritz 1-6 -1-3 Djokovic And he’s soon down 0-15, then 15-30, and looks dizzy in this heat, expending this amount of energy to such little avail. Ach, and when Djokovic conjures an angle to send a high-kicking body-serve onto the line, he’s facing two break points … netting after a succession of nasty-arse backhands sap him of his will to live.
Fritz 1-6 1-2 Djokovic* Fritz makes 0-30 and by the standards, this is a chance. But he nets, then Djokovic despatches a swing volley, then he nets again, then he sticks a forehand just outside the sideline. And Fritz is not at all happy because he knows he’s not getting many such opportunities; I’d watch out for a break in this next game.
*Fritz 1-6 1-0 Djokovic Fritz desperately needs a hold here, an easy one if at all possible … and he gets one to love, cemented with a forehand down the line. That’s the first service game he’s won all day.
Fritz 1-6 Djokovic* Djokovic nets a backhand slice for 15-all but quickly makes 40-15, then a big serve sets up the net putaway … and he hits the net cord! No one expected that, least of all the man himself, so he makes amends with an ace … on his second serve. What do you even do with this kind of freak? he’s playing alright, but Fritz is getting blitzed.
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*Fritz 1-5 Djokovic You fear for Fritz when a forehand error hands over 0-15, but again we get to 30-all, whereupon a fine return, chasing out wide on the forehand side, lands on Fritz’s tootsies and he can’t respond. Break-point down, though, he chucks everything into the next rally only for Djokovic to repel everything until a forehand flies long. That’s the double break – Fritz has lost all three service-games – and Djokovic will now serve for the first set.
Fritz 1-4 Djokovic* Djokovic can’t get a first in, and he opens his second attempt at a consolidation with his third double of the match. We wind up at 30s … so Djokovic slams down an ace, then ends a long rally, into which Fritz puts everything, with a forehand down the line followed by an overhead.
*Fritz 1-3 Djokovic Fritz nets a backhand at 30-0 and I’d not be surprised to see Djokovic attacking that flank because it’s not firing. Nor is his forehand really – neither player has started well – and an error on that side means 30-all. An ace down the T follows, but another backhand error, a tame effort into the net, means deuce – though, in his defence, Djokovic was onto the ball so quickly. Last game, we watched a point from behind him and that was my main takeaway: how swiftly he moves his feet to give himself as many options and as much time as possible when playing his shots. Anyroad, we wind up at deuce when Djokovic resolves a long rally via lob, Fritz netting in response, but he then makes a lob of his own, Djokovic registering his approval via raised arm. He can’t though, close out, Djokovic outhitting him from the back, and even if he doesn’t break here it feels like he’s got the measure of his opponent. But he might, Djokovic going backhand to backhand, changing direction with Fritz on the run and forcing him to try a difficult forehand cross-court that he can’t make. An ace follows, but Djokovic sends consecutive forehands spinning into the same corner, Fritz of course returning to the middle in between – already, the pace is hurting him – and he records his second break of the match, against a bloke who’s only suffered that fate once in 50 previous games this tournament, with a ludicrous stretching backhand touch drop-shot at the net. An entirely ridiculous human being.
Fritz 1-2 Djokovic* Djokovic shanks one into the crowd and Spike Lee, perhaps the world’s most famous sporting spectator, misses his catch; shaaaame. Fritz then misses a forehand but an error from Djokovic makes 30-all – he’s struggling to land first serves at the moment – and then hits a backhand fractionally long! Again, Fritz has break point, and a second serve to attack too … but though he can’t do anything with it, Djokovic hooks a forehand just the wrong side of the tramline! I did not expect that, and Fritz has broken without hitting a winner!
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*Fritz 0-2 Djokovic Fritz has a monstrous serve but can sometimes miss his spots under pressure – and he’s going to be. He nets a pickup for 0-15, then nets again and here’s that aforementioned pressure. But Djokovic goes long on the forehand, then Fritz cracks a topspin forehand from centre onto sideline, making 30-all. But, well, um, eeesh: he goes long on the backhand and must now defend a break point, Djokovic sending a return marginally long. Fritz, though, can’t build on the escape, hitting into the net then over the baseline, and that’s the break! Tahe last time these two played, in Cincy the other week, Djokovic took the first set via bagel.
Fritz 0-1 Djokovic* Fritz attacks a second serve … and nets, then a double follows. Djokovic dominates the next rally, which ends when Fritz netz again, but goes long to hand over 30-all. Fritz is attacking every second serve, as he has to, goes again with a big forehand, and this time Djokovic nets to cede break point! Again he gets a second delivery at which to go, unloads a pretty decent backhand which bounces close to the line, only to go long shortly afterwards. He’s absolutely butchered everyone he’s faced so far so I’m not surprised he’s playing with confidence, but Djokovic eases through deuce, a drop facilitating a delicate backhand volley.
Righto, Djokovic to serve, and …play.
Coco Gauff introducing the one and only Novak Djokovic. 😂 pic.twitter.com/HCqVyG4p7c
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2023
Fritz and Djokovic are with us, and we’ll soon be ready to go again.
They’re partially closing the roof on Ashe, for the spectators as much as the players – that’s how hot is it.
I wonder what Ostapenko will take from that. Had she not played her way, she might not’ve beaten Swiatek, but perhaps if it’s not coming off, she needs to extend the rallies, forcing her opponent to go for a winner or allowing herself to do so at the apposite time. However you slice it, her performance today wasn’t good enough.
After losing in the first round at Wimbledon, Gauff wondered about taking time off to resolve her forehand – though Sofia Kenin, who beat her, is as hard a draw as she might’ve got. In the end, she just played a load of matches on hards, and looks so grooved – her defence is excellent, but most of all she really believes in herself. Muchová will present a very difference challenge, should she beat Cirstea, and I’m not certain she’s ready to beat Sabalenka if that’s who wins the bottom half of the draw, but she’s really close now.
Coming up next: Taylor Fritz [9] v Novak Djokovic [1].
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Gauff is so happy, she tells us. She lost in the quarters last term and still has a long way to go, but she’s ready to get back to work for the next match. She didn’t feel comfortable the whole match because Ostapenko – with whom she gets on well off the court – has the ability to come back at any point and against her you can’t really be aggressive, though she tried to be when she could. She’s always had good defence, but has been working on her offence which is now a lot better, and though she’s still in doubles, given this is her shortest match by far, she might hit the practice courts later. But in the meantime, she announces Novak Djokovic coming up next, totally omitting her mate Taylor Frtiz, then off she skips! There’s a real confidence about her at the moment, and look at that shot of her proud dad, laughing away in a box. Now that is naches.
Coco Gauff [6] beats Jelena Ostapenko [2] 6-0 6-2
A long rally featuring lots of loopy forehand, before Gauff finds a glorious angle to hook a winner which breaks the sideline! Gauff is into the semis of her home Slam for the first time! She’s delighted, and next up it’s Cirstea [30] or Muchová [10]!
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Ostapenko 0-6 2-5 Gauff* Gauff goes long to hand over 0-15, then follows it with a double; she’s managed one in every service-game this set But Ostapenko, dominating the next rally via forehand, sees the balls come back and eventually overhits one, then nets a return for 30-all. A long forehand – another long forehand – duly presents Gauff with match point … but she can’t take it, a backhand falling over the baseline, before a big serve gives her another go. This time, a really good return, corner to corner, returns us to deuce, but a felicitous net-cord distracts Ostapenko, who sends a backhand wide, and here comes Gauff’s third go at closing out…
*Ostapenko 0-6 2-5 Gauff Goodness me! At 15-all, Ostapenko clips the top of the net, the ball sits up, Gauff runs in for the putaway … and shanks it so far away the RZA is now rapping about it in Staten Island. However it’s soon 30-40, and when a mishit return sits up, Ostapenko charges in … and dumps a forehand into the net. That’s the double break and in 90 seconds’ time, Gauff will serve for the semis!
Ostapenko 0-6 2-4 Gauff* Again, a game begins with a double, and excellent hitting from Ostapenko, a return landing almost on the line precipitating a barrage of powerful groundstrokes that end in 0-30. So Gauff dispenses an ace and quickly levels the game at 30-all, Ostapenko responding with a gorgeous lob – though the approach made it a relatively easy one to execute. Next rally, we go corner to corner on the backhand, Ostapenko in control of it … until she nets, and that’s deuce. And, well, oh Jelena. Oh mate. Gauff makes advantage, then Ostapenkz hammers forehands … which keep coming back, until she nets. This is almost over, and it’s barely even started.
*Ostapenko 0-6 2-3 Gauff The game begins with a double but then Gauff goes long and wide on the forehand. Ostapenko, though, finds a big serve out wide and cleans up at the net, then rushes through a hold – her first of the match! – to stay in the match.
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Ostapenko 0-6 1-3 Gauff* We see a graphic showing us how well Gauff’s done to keep the ball away from Ostapenko’s forehand, but mainly she’s just had to keep it in play – while hitting a good length, of course. Then, down 15-30, she finds a really good forehand winner, and though Ostapenko makes 3-40, an ace quickly brings us to deuce. Whereupon Ostapenkz steps inside the court, a forehand return inciting the error … before a backhand swiped wide extinguishes break point. And this time, Gauff does the necessary, securing the first hold of the set – mentally, she’s in a great spot, as we also saw in the last 16 when she told her coach to shut up, ignored him, and promptly despatched Wozniacki. I fear for Ostapenkz now.
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*Ostapenko 0-6 1-2 Gauff Ostapenko makes 40-30 but then Gauff sends a backhand return down the line for deuce. No matter: a return goes into the net but so Ostapenkz has advantage … she can’t convert … but two terrific backhands, a swing volley and a drop eventually give her advantage again. That was great defence from Gauff and good composure from Ostapenko, who didn’t panic when the rally didn’t finish as anticipated. But again she can’t close out and is soon facing another break point – she’s yet to enjoy a service game without one – and this time, a tame second serve out wide is hooked cross-court for the winner which means Gauff is again in front.
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Ostapenko 0-6 1-1 Gauff* Now then. Ostapenko makes 0-15 then steps in to punish a pair of backhands, one cross and one down the line, the second of them a winner. An ace follows, but again Ostapenko’s backhand inserts itself into proceedings, another winner making 15-40, and when Gauff nets, Ostapenko is on the board, with her break back! Do we got ourselves a ball-game?!
*Ostapenko 0-6 0-1 Gauff Gauff has done a fair job of keeping Ostapenko off the baseline, if we’re trying to find things to say beyond Ostapenko gonna ostapenk, and as I type that a double makes 15-all. Eeesh, in short order it’s 15-40 – I’m not sure we’ve even seen a break point saved yet – but this time, a shorter ball allows Ostapenko into the net and she spanks a forehand putaway. But a tame second serve allows Gauff to take control of the next rally and a terrific drop is too good! This is a procession!
“Miniseries is the word that got me on moving to the US, reports Anne Walker. “Also couldn’t find the second hand car adverts. It was ‘previously enjoyed vehicles.’”
I saw some “previously loved” Yeezys yesterday, which of course made me far more eager to stick my feet into someone else’s dried sweat.
Ostapenko 0-6 Gauff* Ostapenko has won deciders in every round and it looks like she’ll have to today, down 15-30 then overhitting a return. This isn’t easy to watch, and when she tries another short ball, Gauff ambles in, makes some dough, reads War and Peace, then chops a drop before sprinkling sesame seeds on the bagel.
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*Ostapenko 0-5 Gauff We’ve to change channels and the sound is out of whack, so I return to find Gauff up 30-40, and this is a total disaster for Ostapenko so far. This time, when a big backhand comes back at her, she tries a drop, and Gauff runs it down to underarm down the line into the corner. After a sit-down, the favourite will serve for the first set and we’ve only been going 19 minutes.
Ostapenko 0-4 Gauff* Ostapenko just can’t get herself going, Gauff serving out a love game which means her opponent has won just three points in the match so far.
*Ostapenko 0-3 Gauff I did not know that in US English, quarter-final – like applesauce – is one word; I feel the same about drycleaner. Again, Gauff makes 15-30 without having to do much beyond get the ball back and shonuff Ostapenko then nets, handing over two more break points. And again, only one is required, a long backhand – her 10th unforced error in just three games – meaning she’s down a double break.
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Ostapenko 0-2 Gauff* Ashe is far too empty for a match of this quality and magnitude; I’m not sure why, but it’s a nonsense. Ostapenko, meanwhile, is thrashing away, a big forehand making 15-all, but she misses with two more attempted winners, then Gauff sends an ace down the T, and that’s the consolidation.
*Ostapenko 0-1 Gauff (*denotes server) Gauff makes 15-30, then Ostapenko nets a forehand and immediately we have break points, two of them. But Gauff only needs one, Ostapenko netting a backhand, and she didn’t really have to earn that.
Anyhow, away we go, Ostapenko to serve.
Coach Calv Betton reckons Naomi Osaka, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka all hit it harder than Ostapenko. Serena he can accept because she hit a heavy ball with a lot of top spin, so it came hard but also kicked like a mule. As for our match, he thinks Gauff has got better at covering up her weak forehand – her coach, Brad Gilbert, is good at concealing things, but it’s pretty hard to do with so essential a shot – but Ostapenko, isn’t just a whacker, she a smart player. He wonders, though, if she might let it go if she falls behind, but on the other hand, he considers her one of very few players who won’t care if the whole crowd are on her back, and she’s capable of beating anyone.
Here come our players, both wearing tracky tops – though it looks pretty warm out there.
Marion Bartoli says she’s played everyone, including Serena, and no one hits the ball as hard as Ostapenko. You'd take that!
Ostapenkz hit 31 winners against Swiatek, a rrridiculous quantity. If she manages similar today, she’ll be a problem, and one thing we know for sure: she will not be scared or die wondering.
So what’s Gauff’s presumed locker-room moniker? I guess she’s already got Coco, but I’m trying to work out whether the rules governing these things demand Gauffy, Gauffsy or Gauffs.
Gauff and Ostapenko – or Otapenkz as I hope she’s know in the locker room – have met twice before, winning one apiece. Gauff won the final at Linz in 2019 – her first singles title, aged 15 – ! – but Ostapenko saw her away in this year’s Australian Open.
Preamble
What’s up dudes?! And welcome to the US Open 2023 – day nine! It’s quarter-final time, baby!
We start today with a confrontation for which the technical term is “an absolute stonker”. Coco Gauff has improved hugely this past year or so and given she was pretty handy already, that makes her a very serious proposition. Her forehand is still a little suss but it’s better than it was, and perhaps more than anything she seems to have found equilibrium, absolutely loving her tennis, while competing like an absolute lunatic, absolutely certain that if she keeps doing the right things, that first Grand Slam title will be along soon enough, so there’s no point sweating the precise timing. But, given the elimination of Iga Switaek, against whom she’s 1-7, she’ll know that her time might be now.
However, on the other side of the net is Jelena Ostapenko – conqueror of the aforementioned and already a major champion, fortifying her with a confidence Gauff cannot yet deploy. In the history of tennis, there’ve been few players – if any - with a riskier, more aggressive style; not so good when it doesn’t work, but when it does it’s close to unbeatable. It may also be that maturity is tempering it slightly and as such this is a match that’s almost impossible to call; lucky us!
Then, following them onto court, we’ve got Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic – on the face of things, a likely blowout. Djokovic is, by almost every measure, the greatest male tenniser ever, has won all seven of his meetings with today’s opponent, and much as he intimates to the contrary, he’ll be raging to have lost the Wimbledon final.
Fritz, though, is making strides, his best or joint-best Grand Slam performances all coming within the last two years. He has a big serve, gigantic groundstrokes and plenty of bottle, so if he can find the best version of himself, you never know. Let’s go, dudes!
