Men’s No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic beat No. 18 Feliciano Lopez of Spain in four sets on Tuesday night, winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2), advancing to the semifinals of the 2015 US Open, the ninth straight year Djokovic has reached at least that far at Flushing Meadows.
2015 US Open bracket update: Novak Djokovic advances to semis
Djokovic last won the US Open in 2011.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
If it weren’t for the utter domination and possible calendar year grand slam by women’s No. 1 Serena Williams, the talk of the tournament just might be the dominant year put up by Djokovic. He won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and lost in the French Open final. On the season he is 61-5, now just two wins away from his third grand slam tournament win of 2015 and 10th of his career.
Though he has reached the US Open semifinal round nine straight years, Djokovic has only won the tournament once, in 2011, also a season that saw him capture three of the four grand slam tournaments.
In the semifinal round, Djokovic will face No. 9 Marin Cilic, a five-set winner on Tuesday over No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, outlasting the Frenchman, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(3), 6-4.
On the women’s side, Serena Williams, the three-time defending US Open champion, prevailed against sister Venus Williams, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, moving into the semifinal round and is now just two wins away from the first grand slam in a calendar year since 1988.
Serena in the semis will face Roberta Vinci of France, a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 winner on Tuesday over Kristina Mladenovic.
Men’s singles
No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 18 Feliciano Lopez, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2)
No. 9 Marin Cilic def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(3), 6-4
Women’s singles
No. 1 Serena Williams def. No. 23 Venus Williams, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Roberta Vinci def. Kristina Mladenovic, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
* * *
SB Nation archives: One man’s attempt to become a tennis ball boy (2012)
See More:
