1 left: Djokovic to the US Open final, close to the Grand Slam of the year

NEW YORK — If Novak Djokovic completes the first calendar year Grand Slam for a man since 1969 — and he’s going to the U.S. Open final just one win away — he and everyone else will remember one particularly central and epic, game along the way.

It ended in the third series, which eventually became a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Alexander Zverev in the Flushing Meadows semi-finals on Friday night, making Djokovic 27-0 in the major championships this season.

Winning Daniil Medvedev’s championship on Sunday gives Djokovic two significant milestones. He would add the 2021 US Open to those he won at the Australian Open in February, the French Open in June and the Wimbledon in July. And the 34-year-old Serb would collect his 21st Slam title and break the men’s career badge he currently shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“There’s only one match left.… All in. Let’s do it,” Djokovic said, spreading his arms wide in the court interview.

The key game against Zverev showed an extended exchange after another, including a 53-minute minute plus point, which was the longest in the tournament and Djokovic actually lost. Zverev delivered the front row winner and then bowed his hands to his knees. Djokovic went to get a towel. Both men breathed heavily as most of the 21,139 spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium got together on a cool and fresh evening.

But this little result didn’t matter. He never shows up with Djokovic, especially the top five matches in the most prestigious stages of his sport. As usual, he used his brilliant return and his never-restless defense to consume Zverev.

So yes, Djokovic lost that point – preceded by the other 13, 19, 22 and 31 shots, and then 16 shots – but he won that game and that. Just as he had lost the first set about 1 1/2 hours earlier, but turned things around with the fourth Zverev level drop. And just like later, Djokovic lost the fourth set, but recovered immediately and was almost untouched when he continued 5-0 in the fifth and then held.

Djokovic, who has spent more weeks in the ATP rankings number one than anyone else, finds out what is required to rise to the top and does it. In each of his last four matches – and a total of 10 tournaments this year – he missed out on the set and won.

He responded to Federer by reaching the 31st career Slam final; Djokovic’s total now includes a record nine in New York, where he has won three championships.

It’s the Slam final No. 3 for 25-year-old Russian Medvedev, who eliminated 12th-place finisher Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in the afternoon. Djokovic defeated Medvedev in this year’s Australian Open final and Nadal in 2019 in the US Open final.

“The more you lose something, the more you want to win it. The more you want to get it and take it,” said Medvedev, who has lost just one series in the last two weeks. – I lost two finals. I want to win the third. “

Djokovic tries to get to 4-4 main tournaments in one season, which Rod Laver last did in men’s tennis 52 years ago. It was also done by Laver in 1962 and Don Budge in 1938. Three women have completed a real Grand Slam tournament, most recently Steffi Graf in 1988. Serena Williams ’attempt in 2015 ended in the US Open in a semi-final for Roberta. Vinci.

As Friday night’s semifinals began, 81-year-old Laver sat in the front and in the middle behind the base level in Ashe’s presidential box.

A year ago in New York, when fans were banned due to a coronavirus pandemic, Zverev approached almost the first major, took the lead in two sets and reached two points away from the championship. lost to Dominic Thiem in the fifth inning.

Zverev came in the winning streak of 16 matches on Friday, which includes winning Djokovic in the semi-finals of the summer games on July 30th. . He is now in 36-10 matches with five innings.

Here’s the story of Djokovic, who occasionally rubbed his lower back with his left hand or hit his feet with his racket: Whatever external signs seem to say, his racket stays stable, he never stresses and waits for another guy to slip.

“It’s the kind of hurricane of emotion, the tornado, going through one series or even one point in a series. You are on the field alone, so there is no escape. You have to find a way, ”Djokovic said. “And I think over the years I’ve managed to develop a formula that works for me.”

Sure does.

“At the most important moments mentally,” Zverev said after his 3 1/2 hour defeat, “I’d rather play against anyone than him.”

Against Zverev, things really woke up in six games and 20 minutes thanks to a fantastic 24-stroke point where Djokovic tried to drop shots. Zverev got to the point, responded from a seemingly impossible angle, and – as Djokovic ran wide into the double aisle and stretched to pick it up, the sneakers squeaked all the way – won.

The audience went wild. Zverev raised his right hand and waved his fingers, “Louder!” Ten minutes later, three missed hands and Djokovic’s double foul gave him 5-4 holes. Zverev, a 24-year-old German with a power-built game, served with aces at 128 and 132 mph, and as the last point at 128 mph, which Djokovic cut off from his frame, sends the ball to the seats.

Zverev moved from six non-compelling errors in this set to 13 in the second set, and the match was smooth. In the third section, Djokovic’s loose play and Zverev’s rebound victory created a couple of skill points. But Djokovic saved them and held a 3-2 hand with a cut that cut the starting position.

Zverev put his hand on his hips and disagreed that the ball was in, but there is no recourse at the US Open this year: All decisions come through an electronic line call and cannot be challenged. There are no judges to doubt or dispute.

There were them last year, and Djokovic was disqualified from Flushing Meadows in the fourth round when the ball he hit after losing the game accidentally hit the line referee’s throat. In the next major tournament, the pandemic delayed French Open, Djokovic lost in the final to Nadal.

Since then, there have been deficits, but no losses, in Djokovic’s Grand Slam matches.

“It’s great for sports,” Zverev said of the time behind Djokovic. “No one thought anyone would do it again.… I think he will do it.”