The Serb easily qualified for the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday, where he will face American Ben Shelton. In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff will challenge Karolina Muchova for a place in the final.
The verdict of the fourth and last Grand Slam of the season is getting closer. The first quarter-finals of the US Open 2023 took place on Tuesday, September 5, on the courts of Flushing Meadows. Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff have respected their rank by qualifying for the semi-finals while it will be a first for the American Ben Shelton, surprise of this tournament.
Novak Djokovic does better than Roger Federer
Even in retirement, Roger Federer is never far from discussions when it comes to measuring the place in this game of Novak Djokovic, like, of course, Rafael Nadal. On Tuesday, the Serb overtook the Swiss in the number of Grand Slam semi-finals. He now holds the record alone, qualifying for his 47th Major semi-final thanks to his victory over the American Taylor Fritz (6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in 2h35). The latter was never threatening, taking Nole’s serve only twice in the game, each time to unbreak.
Thanks to this success, the world number two joins the last four of the US Open for the 13th time in his career. Only Jimmy Connors does better (14). He is also the only one to have reached the semi-finals of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the season. In search of a 24th Major, to equal Margaret Court’s ultimate record, Djoko will face Ben Shelton for a place in the final.
Premiere night for Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton is not a young person like any other. In the arena of an Arthur-Ashe court filled with 24,000 spectators, the 20-year-old American took over his compatriot Frances Tiafoe, yet much better ranked at ATP (10th against 47th). Winner in four sets (6-2, 3-6, 7-6 [7], 6-2) and 3:07 into the game, he qualified for the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career. Additionally, the southpaw became the youngest American to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows since Michael Chang, who lost at that stage to Stefan Edberg in 1992. Already a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in his first tournament abroad, in January, Ben Shelton will play for a place in the final against Novak Djokovic.
Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton multiplied the services lost, like the third set where the six of the first eight games resulted in a break. But the winner did not break on his serve at the end of the match to qualify. “That was hot, huh guys?he launched to the public at the end of the meeting. I gave everything. What a battle, what an atmosphere!”
Easy Coco Gauff
She did not elaborate. Two days after eliminating world number one Iga Swatek (3-6, 6-3, 6-1), Jelena Ostapenko was swept away by Coco Gauff (6-0, 6-2). It only took an hour and eight minutes on the court for the American to earn her ticket to the semi-finals. Finalist of Roland-Garros in 2022, she joins for the first time the last four of the US Open. At 19, she has established herself as one of the favorites for the title. It would be a Grand Slam first for her.
“It’s great, I’m so happy… Last year I lost in the quarter-finals so this year I wanted to do better. But the road is not over!”, she assured after her victory. Facing the Latvian, she played “from afar [son] shortest game of the tournament”. In the semi-finals, she will play the Czech Karolina Muchova, easy faller of the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (6-0, 6-3).