World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and third seed Stanislas Wawrinka both took four sets to beat their respective semi-final opponents in the US Open on Saturday and set up a summit clash. Djokovic beat 10th seed Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, while Wawrinka came through a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 winner against sixth seed Kei Nishikori. Djokovic and Wawrinka will face off in the final on Monday at 1.30 am IST.
The stifling humidity in New York affected both matches, as Djokovic needed treatment on both his shoulders. The Serb had spent only six hours and 24 minutes on court prior to the semi-final match because of a walkover and two retirements, and it was clear that he was low on match practice.
Monfils, meanwhile, tried to play mind games with his top-ranked opponent, as he hit the ball with less power and appeared to be struggling to move, even limping at one stage, before racing forward to reach a drop shot and breaking back in the third set. The 30-year-old even drank a Coca Cola during one change-over. The Frenchman's theatrics weren't to be enough to secure him his first ever appearance in a major final, as Djokovic recovered from losing the third set by taking the fourth 6-2.
In the second semi-final, Nishikori started the match strongly as he took the first set, before being broken by Wawrinka at the end of the second. Nishikori was coming from a gruelling five-setter against Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and it was clear in his play on Saturday. A brief rain interruption, while the roof was closed, helped the Japanese as he recovered from 4-1 down in the third set to level the score 4-4.
However, Wawrinka found an extra can of energy to win five straight games and break Nishikori in the fourth set. The Japanese broke back to make it 3-2, before the Swiss clinched three games in a row again to seal the match. Wawrinka does not boast of a great career record against Djokovic – the Serb leads 19-4 in head-to-head meetings – but he will take inspiration from the fact that the last time the two met in a major final, it was the Swiss who won, at Roland Garros in 2015.
